GENEVA: Women and girls in Afghanistan continue to face serious obstacles in accessing healthcare, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights for Afghanistan, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights, said on Tuesday, warning that Taliban restrictions are weakening the country’s health system.
Marking World Health Day, Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights for Afghanistan, said the Taliban’s policies on movement, education, and female health workers have led to preventable deaths and widespread suffering.
“Afghanistan’s obligations under international law, including the right to health, remain binding,” he said, noting that discriminatory policies, a shortage of female medical staff, and restricted mobility continue to limit women’s access to care.
“Afghan women and girls continue to face severe barriers to healthcare. Restrictions on movement, education & women health workers are undermining the health system and leading to preventable suffering and loss of life,” Bennett stated in a post on X.
On #WorldHealthDay Afghan women and girls continue to face severe barriers to healthcare. Restrictions on movement, education & women health workers are undermining the health system and leading to preventable suffering and loss of life. My report here:https://t.co/uCCGsIP1xk
— UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett (@SR_Afghanistan) April 7, 2026
Since regaining control in 2021, the Taliban have imposed widespread restrictions on women’s rights, including banning female students from medical institutes and instructing some healthcare centres not to treat women without a male guardian.
Impact on humanitarian services
Two months ago, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that mental health and psychosocial support services in Afghanistan had been suspended due to intensified restrictions on women and humanitarian access.
Bennett noted that women, heavily reliant on these community-based services, have been disproportionately affected.
Additional restrictions include limits on female health workers’ use of mobile phones, challenges in obtaining work permits, and interference with humanitarian operations.
Aid workers have faced harassment, temporary detention, and demands for additional documentation at checkpoints.
House-to-house polio vaccination campaigns have also been prohibited in some provinces.
UN Rapporteur calls for urgent international action
Bennett stressed that urgent action is required to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls and to prevent further deterioration of the country’s health system.
“Without immediate intervention, millions of Afghans, especially women and girls, will be deprived of essential healthcare,” he said.
UN experts, international rights groups, and activists have described the Taliban’s systematic oppression of women as “gender apartheid,” an institutionalised system subjugating women solely because of their gender.
Despite international pressure, including from Muslim-majority countries and global organisations, the Taliban have not reversed these restrictions.
Experts warn that limiting women’s participation in healthcare and public life not only violates human rights but also undermines Afghanistan’s development, economic growth, and long-term recovery.
Bennett said ongoing restrictions threaten public health, increasing the risk of maternal mortality, preventable illnesses, and broader health crises across the country.
Afghanistan’s development and prosperity, he said, are closely linked to women’s access to education, work, and public engagement.
“Resuming dialogue and lifting restrictions is essential to safeguard both human rights and the country’s healthcare system,” he added.
