In Afghanistan, the Taliban has effectively restricted women’s access to medical care by prohibiting male doctors from examining female patients without a male guardian being present or without certain procedures being carried out by a female nurse. The restrictions are in place in many provinces and even apply to emergency cases. This was reported on 12 November 2026 by the British newspaper The Guardian, following a joint investigation with the Afghan media outlet Zan Times. No nationwide written order regarding this ban has been publicly released, but medical professionals report that it is, in fact, being enforced.
- In Afghanistan, male doctors are effectively barred from treating women unless they meet certain additional conditions.
- Restrictions may apply even when emergency medical care is being provided.
- Medical staff are being warned that they may face imprisonment for breaching the established rules.
- From December 2024, women will be barred from studying at medical universities, which will exacerbate the shortage of female specialists.
- In Balkh Province, medical staff have been ordered to use the word «bibi» instead of their patients’ real names.
How the Taliban restrict medical treatment for women
According to journalists The Guardian and Zan Times, doctors for the most part Afghan The provinces have been instructed not to examine women unless certain conditions are met.
In particular, the following may be required to be present during the appointment mahrama — a male relative or guardian who is authorised to accompany the woman in accordance with the rules imposed by the Taliban. Certain medical procedures may only be carried out by female healthcare workers.
A surgeon at a state hospital in northern Afghanistan, who has 15 years’ experience, told journalists that male medical staff are forbidden from examining female patients directly, regardless of the severity of their condition.
The restrictions also apply to dental clinics. According to medical professionals, representatives Taliban Public morality authorities are inspecting establishments and threatening doctors with imprisonment should they breach the restrictions.
Journalists from Zan Times interviewed staff at dental practices in 14 provinces. In all these regions, those interviewed confirmed that they had been subjected to inspections and warnings by Taliban representatives.
Women are being denied treatment even after treatment has begun
One of the victims was a 37-year-old woman from Herat, whose name the journalists have changed to Farida for safety reasons.
Due to severe toothache, she went to a dental clinic, where she was prescribed a long course of treatment. The woman borrowed money and paid approximately 25,000 afghanis in advance.
After two treatment sessions, the treatment was stopped. Staff at the clinic explained that they had received an instruction prohibiting male dentists from treating women.
Three months later, the patient had still not been able to complete the treatment. She said that the pain was preventing her from eating and sleeping properly.
Other women interviewed said they were forced to travel long distances in search of a female doctor or to seek treatment from practitioners who lacked the necessary qualifications.
Why is there a shortage of female doctors in Afghanistan?
The situation is exacerbated by the ban on medical education for women, introduced in December 2024. It applies to the training of nurses, midwives and other female healthcare professionals.
In addition, hospital staff interviewed by journalists reported restrictions on the employment of women. Some healthcare facilities are unable to hire even those female specialists who qualified before the bans were introduced.
According to the World Health Organisation, a shortage of female healthcare workers and restrictions on women’s freedom of movement are already creating serious barriers to accessing healthcare.
UN Women, a UN agency, emphasises that the shortage of qualified staff poses a threat to the health of mothers and newborns. According to the organisation’s estimates, in 2024 there were 638 cases of maternal mortality per 100,000 live births in Afghanistan.
In hospitals, women are forbidden from using their own names
Certain restrictions have even affected the preparation of medical documents.
According to The Guardian, in May 2026, in Balkh Province, Taliban officials ordered healthcare facilities not to use women’s real names.
Instead, doctors and other staff are to use the word «bibi» — a traditional, respectful term for a woman. According to journalists, this rule even applies to medical prescriptions.
At the same time, in February 2026, a representative Taliban authorities Hamdulla Nomani He claimed that male doctors were permitted to treat women without a male guardian being present. However, accounts from medical professionals in various provinces contradict this claim.
As of 13 November 2026, there is no officially published nationwide document imposing a complete ban on women being treated by male doctors. At the same time, an investigation by The Guardian and Zan Times reveals that de facto restrictions are already in place in many regions of Afghanistan, leaving female patients without the care they need.
