Review of Afghan Human Rights in 2023

The UN special rapporteur voiced concern over the deterioration of human rights within the past two-years.

In 2023, the human rights issue, especially the women and girls, was one of the issues that faced reactions of various countries.

Compliance with human rights especially women’s rights and the girls going to school and universities, is the issue that the world says is a condition for recognition of the Islamic Emirate.

Speaking to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, said: “The donor community has said there will only be aid where women are involved. Where women are not involved, the aid will not be present. So, the pressure goes on in order to guarantee that we have women working in the humanitarian sector. In the public services, only very few women are working and we are fighting hard to increase it.”  (14/03/2023)

At the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, the US deputy ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said: “The United States hears their requests and will not consider any significant steps toward normalization of relations with the Taliban until women and girls have meaningful access to education, the workforce, and other aspects of social and political life. Indeed, the international community as a whole has spoken out against these indefensible restrictions.” (21/12/2023)

The UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said the recognition of women’s rights by the interim government officials in Afghanistan would help towards greater legitimacy for the interim government.

He made the remarks in an interview with TOLOnews.

“If the de facto authorities recognize women’s rights they would stand a better chance. It would be a step towards not recognition, I don’t really use that word very much, but it would be a step towards a greater legitimacy,” Bennett said.

He said that no country in the world is treating women the way the “de facto” officials in Afghanistan do.

The UN special rapporteur voiced concern over the deterioration of human rights within the past two-years.

One of the main reasons for the deterioration of human rights, he said, “is the treatment of women and girls.”

“In fact, today, there was an index that was produced by the Georgetown institute for women, peace and security which rates every country for their treatment of women and girls and Afghanistan came last in the whole world,” he said.

Bennett further said that the treatment of women is causing mass concerns among members of the international community. (27/10/2023)

But the Islamic Emirate has always said that women’s rights are protected within the framework of Islamic laws in the country.

The deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, Bilal Karimi, denied the “concerns” regarding the human rights situation, saying that the rights of all Afghans are preserved within an Islamic structure.

“The Islamic Emirate as a responsible government ensures the rights of all citizens of the country and takes steps based on beliefs and Islamic values. No side should be concerned in this regard,” he said. – 07/03/2023.

As the final exams of the fall semester are held in government universities, some female students said that they are currently in despair.

“Social justice is the survival of a government. If governments do not respect social justice, a social crisis will arise, which will cause the downfall of the same system,” said Fazila Sarosh, a women’s rights activist. – 06/11/2023.

Following the prohibition of women working in governmental and non-governmental organizations this year, on July 3, 2023, a one-month deadline was issued by the leader of the Islamic Emirate for Women’s Beauty Salons.

This deadline ended on July 23. With this decree, more than 12,000 Women’s Beauty Salons were blocked in the country.

“What is spiritual destruction or the apparent destruction of the society should be prevented,” said Akif Mahajir, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Virtue and Vice. – 22/07/2023.

This issue also led to protests by females who have Women’s Beauty Salons.

“What is our crime that we are deprived of school, universities and everything? What is our guilt?” said Marwa, a makeup artist. – 20/07/2023.

“We either leave the country, or we will go on the street and commit suicide. Or they put us under an atom bomb or execute us because we are women,” said Lida, a female makeup artist. – 06/07/2023.

Meanwhile, as in other years, the gates of schools and universities were not opened for girls in 2023.

The academic year of 1402 (solar year) started with the ringing of the bell of Amani High School for boys but no order was issued to return girls to schools

“It has been two years since we were deprived of school. We hope that schools become open for us,” said Zainab, a student. – 22/Mar/2023.

“In the past one year, not only me, but all the girls and students who were denied the opportunity to go to university are suffering from depression and an unclear future,” Huzaifa, a student, told TOLOnews. – 20/12/2023.

Although some officials of the Islamic Emirate emphasized education for girls in Afghanistan, no new decree was issued in this regard.

The Deputy Foreign Minister, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai said: “This is everyone’s right. This is the natural right which God and the prophet has given to them, how can someone take this right from them? If anyone violates this right, this is an oppression against the Afghans and the people of this country. Try to reopen the doors of the educational institutions for everyone. Today our only problem with the neighbors and world is caused because of the issue of education. If the nation is getting distant from us and upset with us, that is due to the education issue.” – 07/12/2023.

The closure of schools, universities and women’s work are sensitive and controversial issues, which were the focus and sidelines of some regional and global meetings.

These meetings were include:

“Women, Peace and Security”

“Doha Forum”

“Government in Afghanistan and Women’s Government in Afghanistan”

“US Institute of Peace (USIP)”

“1st Meeting – 53rd Regular Session of the Human Rights Council,” in Geneva

“The 78th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations”

The US special envoy for Afghan human rights and women, Rina Amiri, called for investment in the female education sector in Afghanistan, in a bid to provide the way for a modern and “inclusive Afghanistan.”

Speaking at a session at the Doha Forum, Amiri said: “It is a moral imperative and it is a strategic imperative. If we want Afghanistan to continue on the road to a modern and inclusive Afghanistan that is not a threat to itself or to its neighbors, invest in Afghanistan, invest in its education and its population, that is what we are collectively seeking to do,” she said. – 10/12/2023.

The president of the 78th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Dennis Francis, called on the “Taliban to reconsider” policies regarding the education and work of women and girls in Afghanistan.

Speaking at a press conference, he said that “keeping the girls” out of their schools is not going to strengthen the country.

“Women and girls have unalienable rights, human rights that must be upheld and honored. So I would urge the Afghan authorities to reconsider the policy and allow girls to go to school to get an education. So that they can play a role in the development of the community and the society,” Francis said. – 29/09/2023.

Based on the report of the US Institute of Peace (USIP), more than seventy decrees have been issued in the field of education, training and work for women since the Islamic Emirate came into power in the country.

But the Islamic Emirate has always said that women’s rights in Afghanistan are based on Islamic laws and has asked other countries not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

Review of Afghan Human Rights in 2023
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Afghan Security Situation in 2023 Reviewed

According to reports, the number of casualties was less than the casualties of the first three months of 2022.

In 2023, as a result of anti-security events, nearly 200 people were killed and wounded across the country.

According to reports, the number of casualties was less than the casualties of the first three months of 2022.

Security in the year 2023 was one of the key issues that the caretaker government has spoken of as an important achievement after its coming into power in Afghanistan.

In this regard, MoI spokesman Abdul Matin Qani, said: “In 2022, full security was provided, and in 2023, it had a 40% reduction, but still, unfortunately, we witnessed some security incidents in Badakhshan, Baghlan and Herat provinces and even in the capital.”

TOLOnews findings show that since the beginning of this year, more than ten suicide attacks and explosions occurred in Baghlan, Badakhshan, Balkh and Kabul provinces, in which fifty-six people were killed and 140 others were injured.

One of these incidents happened on the first day of the year 2023 near the gate of the military airport in Kabul, in which at least ten people died and eight others were injured.

On January 11th and March 27th, 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate was attacked twice. In these incidents, several employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including diplomats, were killed, and these attacks were accompanied by strong international and domestic reactions.

In 2023, several officials of the Islamic Emirate were also targeted in some anti-security incidents.

Among them, we can mention the 9th of March, when a suicide bomber exploded himself near the office of the governor of Balkh, as a result of which three people were killed, including Mohammad Dawood Muzamil, the governor of Balkh, with four others being injured.

On June 6, 2023, the acting governor of Badakhshan province was also attacked, resulting in his death and his driver’s, and injuries to six others.

Two days after this incident, at the funeral of Mawlawi Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, there was another attack with fatalities, including Safiullah Samim, the former commander of Baghlan police, and 14 others, and more than 50 others were injured.

On October 13, a suicide bomber reached the Takiakhana Imam Zaman (place of worship) in Pol-e-Khomri and blew himself up among the worshipers, killing seven people and injuring seventeen others.

Two days after this incident, another blast also in Tabyan cultural center in Mazar-e-Sharif happened in which one person was killed and eight others were injured.

In this year Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul witnessed explosions on October 27th and November 8th, in which more than 10 people were killed and nearly 30 others were injured. ISIS has taken responsibility for most of the incidents.

The spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, Zabihullah Mujahid, said: “ISIS is a bad phenomenon that used to operate and hide in cities, especially big cities. A special operation was carried out against them, and immediately they fled to remote provinces and places.”

In 2023 rather than other years, Afghanistan had two conflicts with Pakistan and one border conflict with Iran, with the Pakistan skirmishes lasting for several days.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior said that most of the conflicts that took place on the borders of the country were first started by the opposite side.

While the Islamic Emirate has always denied a ISIS presence in Afghanistan, Colonel General Anatoly Sidorov, Chief of the Joint Staff of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), claimed that the number of ISIS fighters in Afghanistan has increased to 6,500.

“The number of members of the Islamic State’s Afghan branch, Wilayat Khorasan (outlawed in Russia), has significantly increased to about 6,500, with up to 4,000 militants concentrated along Tajikistan’s southern border in the provinces of Badakhshan, Kunduz and Takhar,” TASS said, quoting Sidorov.

The head of US Central Command, Michael Kurilla, said that ISIS In Afghanistan will be able to attack American or Western interests outside the country in less than six months “with little to no warning,” as reported by Star and Stripes.

But, the Ministry of Defense said that a serious fight against terrorist groups has been carried out in Afghanistan, and currently the ISIS group has been defeated in Afghanistan.

On the last day of 2023, Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, the Acting Minister of MoD, at the news conference of the Security and Clearing Affairs Commission, in the government media center, dismissed the claims and concerns of countries about the existence of terrorist groups as baseless and said that Afghanistan is in a safe state and will not allow anyone to disrupt the security and use of Afghanistan’s soil.

The acting Defense minister said: “Those who make such claims against us should be asked why they make such claims, and they do something that does not benefit any country.”

Afghan Security Situation in 2023 Reviewed
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1 Million Internally Displaced Transferred to Home Areas: Ministry

By Shabnam Amini

The ministry has pledged to address the challenges of internally displaced people and provide assistance to them.

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has given statistics that there are three million internally displaced people in the country, one million of whom were transferred to their home areas.

Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, a spokesman for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, said that the preparations for the transfer of about 60,000 internally displaced people to their provinces in the near future are being made by the Ministry.

Abdul Mutalib Haqqani said: “We have almost three million displaced people inside Afghanistan, of which one million have been transferred to the provinces, they have been given food aid, transportation and have been transferred to their villages.”

Mohibullah, who came to Kabul from Laghman due to insecurity and has been living in Kabul for several years, said that his and his family’s difficulties multiply with the arrival of winter.

“We ask the Islamic Emirate to give us land, we don’t have any place, we don’t have food,” Mohibullah said.

“We want the government to help us, we need a lot of help this winter,” said Anwar, another displaced person.

Humaira, who is Mohibullah’s daughter-in-law, said that she is worried about the future of her children.

“Our children do not have access to school. They cannot study. We have not been helped,” Humaira said.

The ministry has pledged to address the challenges of internally displaced people and provide assistance to them.

1 Million Internally Displaced Transferred to Home Areas: Ministry
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Taliban say security forces killed dozens of Tajiks, Pakistanis involved in attacks in Afghanistan

Associated PressDecember 31, 2023

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Security forces in Afghanistan killed a number of Tajik and Pakistani nationals and arrested scores others involved in attacks against religious clerics, the public, and mosques, a senior Taliban official said Sunday.

Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Taliban’s appointed defense minister, during a press conference in the capital, Kabul, said dozens of Tajiks and more than 20 Pakistanis were killed in the past 12 months “in operations by security forces.”

He said scores of Tajiks and hundreds of Pakistanis involved in various incidents were also arrested during that period.

Tensions between Kabul and Islamabad spiked as hundreds of thousands of Afghans left Pakistan after authorities started pursuing foreigners they said were in the country illegally, going door-to-door to check migrants’ documentation, following an Oct.31 deadline.

Mujahid also said there has been a 90% decrease in attacks by an Islamic State group affiliate in the past year.

The militant group has carried out major assaults on schools, hospitals, and mosques, and has also attacked Shiite areas across the country.

The IS affiliate has been a major rival of the Taliban since the latter seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021. IS militants have struck in Kabul, in northern provinces and especially wherever there are Shiites, whom IS considers to be apostates.

Since taking power, the Taliban have barred women from most areas of public life and work and stopped girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade as part of harsh measures they imposed, as U.S. and NATO forces were pulling out of Afghanistan following two decades of war.

 

Taliban say security forces killed dozens of Tajiks, Pakistanis involved in attacks in Afghanistan
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Report: 30,000 Undocumented Afghans Detained By Pakistan in 2023

The report also said that most Afghan refugees have been arrested in Balochistan province.

The International Organization of Migration (IOM) and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have published a joint report saying more than 30,000 undocumented refugees have been detained in Pakistan in 2023.

The report also said that most Afghan refugees have been arrested in Balochistan province.

“At first, they used the excuse of detention of immigrants who did not have legal documents, but alongside these individuals, Afghans who had legal documents and had their POR cards with them for living there were also detained,” said Abdul Mutalib Haqani, the spokesman of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation.

“The effort of the Islamic Emirate’s consulate has always been to understand the situation of Afghans and to reduce their suffering and harassment, and to free them from imprisonment,” said Abdul Jabar Takhari, the consul of the Islamic Emirate in Karachi.

The joint report of IOM and UNHCR stated that besides the detention and deportation, Afghan refugees have been extorted and harassed.

“In Karachi, even those who have documents are arrested and kept in prison for a while, and then they are deported,” Malak Awal Khan, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan.

“Over the past four decades, there has been no equivalent to the oppression and hardship experienced by Afghan immigrants in 2023,” said Reza Hashimi, Afghan Refugees’ representative in Pakistan.

IOM and UNHCR also said that 483,000 Afghans have been deported to Afghanistan so far.

Report: 30,000 Undocumented Afghans Detained By Pakistan in 2023
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MoI: Capacity Increased From 150,000 to Over 200,000 Personnel

Qani said that efforts are underway to attract fresh forces from various provinces.

The Ministry of Interior’s spokesman, Abdul Matin Qani, said that the capacity of the ministry has increased from 150,000 to more than 200,000 personnel and that all forces and personnel have been enrolled based on the needs in civilian and military departments.

Qani said that efforts are underway to attract fresh forces from various provinces.

“Around 75,000 vacancies have been distributed to the provinces. The delegation went and after the survey, the professional people have been appointed,” he said.

Veterans and analysts meanwhile urged the Islamic Emirate to focus on the professionalism of the forces in the country.

“The important principle is professionalism. If we even we have hundreds of thousands of forces but they are not professional, they cannot provide security,” said Mohammad Zalmai Afghanyar, a military analyst.

“To provide security, the police and intelligence should be active. They should be trained professionally to thwart the attacks and terrorist incidents on time,” said Fazal Rahman Samkanai, political analyst.

The spokesman said that based on the decree of the Islamic Emirate’s leader, the interior ministry sent a list of around 75,000 military and civilian vacancies to various provinces.

MoI: Capacity Increased From 150,000 to Over 200,000 Personnel
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168 Cases of Violence Against Journalists Recorded: AJC

The Islamic Emirate in reaction to the AJC’s report said that the detention of the journalists has not been due to their media related activities.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center expressed concern about media rights violations in Afghanistan and said that in 2023 it recorded 168 cases of violations of journalists’ rights in the country.

The report stated that one journalist died, 19 journalists were injured, there were 78 cases of threats and 61 cases of arrests of journalists recorded.

The Afghanistan Journalists Center stated that “in 2023, the recorded cases of violation of the rights of journalists and the media show a significant decrease compared to the 260 events recorded in 2022, but there is no change in terms of quality and structure.”

This comes as journalists and media workers also urged the interim government to take solid steps to eliminate the existing challenges.

“All of the activities belonging to the media and journalists should be pursued through the commission of media violation and this commission should be incentivized and any media and journalist who commit a violation, should be investigated through this commission,” said Rasul Shahzad, a journalist.

“The government should increase access to information. The economy of the media organizations should be empowered and supported,” said Mustafa Sharyar, a journalist.

The Islamic Emirate in reaction to the AJC’s report said that the detention of the journalists has not been due to their media related activities.

Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that no media has come under pressure and that all media are “freely active”.

“Some of the cases that happened in 2023 were because of violations. Sometimes, the journalists have been arrested on criminal activities or legal cases for a temporary time. The detention has not been permanent,” he said.

Meanwhile, according to the reports of the media watchdogs, around 86 TV channels, 257 radio stations, 33 journalists and 46 printing media organizations are currently active in Afghanistan.

At least 220 media organizations were closed after the Islamic Emirate came to power.

168 Cases of Violence Against Journalists Recorded: AJC
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Da Afghanistan Bank: We Protected Value of Afghani

Some economists said that the increase in the Afghan currency value will also affect the decrease of the prices.

Da Afghanistan Bank said that the value of the Afghani in 2023 has increased by 26.4% compared to the previous year.

Haseebullah Noori, the spokesperson of Da Afghanistan Bank, emphasized that this bank is trying to protect the afghani against foreign currencies by implementing better monetary policies.

Reportedly, implementation of better monetary policies, promotion of Afghan currency in the country, prevention of foreign currency smuggling, prevention of unnecessary expenses at the government level, increase in exports, and the initiation of some national and international projects in the country are the factors that have contributed to the stability and increase of the afghani currency value.

“Currently, the afghani is one of the most stable currencies in the region and we are trying to make more progress in the field. The afghani has increased by 26.4% in 2023 compared to 2022, which is a great achievement for Da Afghanistan Bank,” said Haseebullah Noori.

The Union of Money Exchangers of Sarai Shahzada said that the value of the afghani has increased due to the lack of liquidity in the country’s markets.
“Currently, the dollar is high, the Afghani is low, there is supply and demand in everything…,” said Ibrahim Khan Zadran, head of the union.

Some economists said that the increase in the Afghan currency value will also affect the decrease of the prices.

“The increase or decrease of afghani currency will harm the citizens of the country. The Islamic Emirate should make a procedure and solution because the increase or decrease of the Afghani destabilizes the market,” said Mohammad Nabi Afghan, an economist.

“The goods that enter Afghanistan can have a positive effect because the more the Afghani loses its value against foreign currencies, the more expensive the goods will be for the consumer,” said Seyar Qurishi, an economist.

Earlier, foreign media reported that the value of the afghani increased by 14% in the past year.

Da Afghanistan Bank: We Protected Value of Afghani
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UN Security Council Adopts Resolution on Afghanistan

The resolution was adopted after 13 members of the Security Council voted in favor, while Russia and China abstained.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Friday co-penned by the UAE and Japan that focuses on a path for Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community referencing the recently completed independent assessment on Afghanistan.

The resolution was adopted after 13 members of the Security Council voted in favor, while Russia and China abstained.

In the resolution 2721, seen by TOLOnews, the UNSC reaffirmed its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Afghanistan, as well as its continued support for the people of Afghanistan.

It also urged support for a peaceful, stable, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan and reiterated the need to address the challenges faced by Afghanistan, “including but not limited to, humanitarian, human rights and especially the rights of women and girls, religious and ethnic minorities, security and terrorism, narcotics, development, economic and social challenges, dialogue, governance and the rule of law.”

The resolution requests the UN Secretary-General, to appoint a Special Envoy for Afghanistan in consultation with members of the Security Council, relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, including relevant authorities, Afghan women and civil society, as well as the region and the wider international community.

The UAE Mission to the UN said on X: “The resolution encourages member states and all other relevant stakeholders to consider increasing international engagement in a more coordinated and structured manner. It affirms that the objective of this process should be an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbors, fully reintegrated into the international community.”

The China representative at the meeting said: “the international community should effectively communicate and engage the Afghan authorities to provide support and assistance constructively.”

Anna M. Evstigneeva, envoy of the Russian Federation, said: “We welcome that the resolution addresses pressing issues, such as countering terrorist and drug threats, humanitarian assistance, human rights, the importance of building an architecture to ensure better connectivity of political, humanitarian, and developmental activities in Afghanistan, and also includes provisions regarding a substantive roadmap.”

The Russian envoy added: “In this regard, we assume that the Secretary-General will consult the de facto authorities when appointing a Special Envoy and will also take into account the views of all members of the Security Council. we will not support the Secretary-General’s decision unless it has the approval of the de facto authorities.”

In the meeting, the Japanese representative said: “Once adopted, this resolution will express the Council’s strong determination to facilitate a new strategy to address a wide range of issues in Afghanistan and set the course for international mechanisms necessary to tackle them. By adopting this resolution, we will also demonstrate to the people of Afghanistan, including relevant authorities, women, girls, and civil society, that the international community remains committed to a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and inclusive Afghanistan. The country continues to face enormous challenges and we should maintain and increase our attention on it.”

The draft text was proposed by Japan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the co-pen holders on the file.

According to the resolution, the UNSC members also stressed “the critical importance of a continued presence of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and other United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programmes across Afghanistan, and reiterates its full support to the mandate and the work of UNAMA and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.”

UN Security Council Adopts Resolution on Afghanistan
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Veiled rebellion: Female medical students go underground in Afghanistan

By

Lima stayed home the last time the Taliban inspected the hospital where she secretly trains as a nurse.

After five years of medical training, Lima, 28, should be one year into her residency as a doctor, perfecting her diagnostic skills. Instead, she takes temperatures and administers injections, tasks she has been doing at an emergency room in Kabul for three months now. While this is not the work she expected to be doing at this point in her career, she’s happy to at least be doing this.

“Being at the hospital means I can stay close to my field. It helps me to stay connected to it,” Lima told Al Jazeera over the course of several telephone calls. She is identified by her first name only for safety reasons.

Lima was just weeks away from graduating from a medical school in Kabul when the Taliban banned higher education for women last December, interrupting her studies and that of thousands of other women. Women already qualified as doctors, nurses and other medical workers are permitted to continue in their jobs, but no new women may enter the field or undertake training.

More than 3,000 women who had already graduated from medical schools before the ban were barred from taking the board exams required to practise, depriving the country – already struggling from a dire shortage of female medical workers – of a desperately needed infusion of new doctors.

For Lima, medicine has been a lifelong dream. She longs to become a surgeon, partially because she knows there is a shortage of them.

“My biggest hope is to help people,” she said.

Her family moved home to Afghanistan from Pakistan so she could attend university in Kabul where she thrived – she did well in her classes and was appointed her class’s “leader”, handling administrative tasks.

After the news broke, Lima called one of her professors and persuaded him to let her and her classmates take one of the exams they were scheduled to take that week. It was not for an official grade but just for them to know they could do it. The professor agreed, but when Lima and her classmates arrived at the university to take the test, the Taliban, armed with guns, were already guarding the doors.

It was no longer safe, the professor told Lima.

A secret internship

Almost a year later, many women have refused to give up on their chosen path and have continued studying on their own or online, hoping that they will one day be allowed to study officially at university and medical school again. Some women have managed to work around the restrictions, finding secret internships and residency opportunities.

“It’s like a refreshment for my studies, for my knowledge. This is the best way for me to do something for my goals,” says Noor*, whose name has been changed to ensure her anonymity. Like Lima, she was just about to graduate from medical school when the Taliban’s ban brought her studies to an abrupt halt. The order hit her hard.

She spent months studying solo, holding on to medicine as “the only goal” she ever had in her life. She reviewed her notes, read thick medical books in English and took online courses, focusing on what she believed to be any gaps in her knowledge. But working alone for weeks on end, she says she fell into a depression and had to listen to motivational speakers for an hour per day just to muster the will to keep going.

In September, nine months after the ban, Noor lost hope that the university would reopen and called the hospital that had offered her a two-month internship back in 2020. They agreed to let her come in to complete it. Everyone treats it as a secret.

When the two months were up, the hospital allowed her to stay on to continue observing surgeries for as long as she wished. Noor says she is too afraid to even think about what would happen if the Taliban discovered her studying there. It is unclear what would happen if she was discovered, but women found studying medicine or undertaking internships would likely be removed from hospitals and banned from returning, if not worse. There have already been arrests of activists who tried to defy the ban on girls’ education.

Whatever the risks, however, women refuse to stop trying to defy the ban on higher education completely.

“Never in the history of Afghanistan have we had so many educated, well-aware-of-the-world and well-aware-of-their-duties-and-rights women. It’s impossible to silence them, it’s impossible to push them aside,” says Fatima Gailani, a London-based women’s rights activist and former president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, in an interview over WhatsApp.

Women’s healthcare at stake

Despite the Taliban’s initial promise to take a moderate approach towards women’s rights after it seized power in August 2021, the ban on higher education is just one of many steps that the armed group has taken to further segregate the country and limit women’s role in society.

In the immediate aftermath of August 2021, the Taliban banned girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade and imposed strict rules requiring women to wear hijabs and to travel only with a male chaperone. They closed down beauty salons and blocked women from working with domestic and international non-governmental aid groups, sparking international outrage on the matter.

Afghanistan has an urgent need for female doctors as they are often the only healthcare providers available for women and children. While there is no explicit law that forbids it, many traditional Afghan families do not allow their female relatives to be seen by male doctors. This is a particular issue in rural areas where women often have to travel for hours to see a female doctor. Once the current generation of female doctors and nurses retires, even this may not be an option.

“The women here in Kabul and in the provinces are suffering from a lack of women doctors. They are suffering from [lack of] access to health facilities. They are suffering from a lack of access to the treatments that they want,” says Aminulhaq Mayel, deputy country director at the Swedish Committee in Afghanistan, a foreign aid organisation.

In 2020, the World Health Organization estimated that 24 women were dying each day in Afghanistan from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes. While this ranked as one of the highest rates in the world, it was significantly lower than 2001.

Now experts fear a sharp reverse in those limited gains.

In the aftermath of the Taliban takeover two years ago, Afghanistan lost billions in foreign aid and investment, including for healthcare services. By September 2021, 80 percent of national health facilities had reported operational difficulties due to insufficient funding, staff shortages or medical supply scarcities. The Red Cross and the UN were forced to step in and pay the salaries of tens of thousands of staff.

Some hospitals were shut down. Many doctors fled the country, increasing the strain on those who stayed.

Pressured to marry – ‘an end to my dreams’

“If the universities are not allowed to teach women and women can’t be educated in medicine, that is absolutely disastrous,” says Gailani. “The lack of women doctors will have a catastrophic effect on women’s health. Maternal deaths will go up. It has already gone up.”

Lima says she has already witnessed the strain on healthcare accessibility imposed by the shortage of female doctors. The hospital does not have a gynaecologist and they have to reject women coming in with maternity-related issues. They have midwives, but they need doctors to deal with emergencies.

Lima does not know what has happened to the women for whom they could not find places in other hospitals, but she fears for their wellbeing.

“If it happens here in Kabul, what’s happening in the villages? I cannot imagine,” she said.

Lima does not know how long she can continue her covert training, even if the Taliban does not catch her. Without the proper paperwork, there are no job opportunities awaiting her at the end of her training. It is also quickly becoming unaffordable. She pays 10,000 afghanis per month ($142) for the residency – the same amount she would have paid if it was official.

There is no official data for average salaries in Afghanistan, although some private data sources put it at about $180 per month, demonstrating the financial toll that Lima’s internship is taking. Lima says doctors earn about $700 per month, and this is considered to be a high salary. In 2021, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was recorded at just $356.

Without a clear path to becoming a medical professional, she is also facing increasing pressure from her parents to get married.

“I’m just thinking about how I can help women and how to become a doctor,’” said Lima. “If I get married, everything would be lost. My dreams would be shattered.”

Lima is worried that if she gets married, her husband might forbid her to work – some men do not let their wives have a career. Even knowing that her parents would allow her to choose between proposals and demand she be allowed to work, it is still not a guarantee the man would keep his promise. She does not think she will be able to resist the pressure to get married for more than a few more months unless universities reopen by then.

With only enough money left to afford a few more months of her secret residency, Lima’s last hopes for a career in medicine hinge on being allowed to resume her studies – officially – before she runs out of time.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
Veiled rebellion: Female medical students go underground in Afghanistan
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