Kabul, Feb 26 (IANS) Richard Bennett, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, has warned that restrictions and international funding cuts have severely affected Afghan women’s access to essential healthcare services, local media reported on Thursday.
Bennett will present a new report on women’s and girls’ rights to health at the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported. He said Afghanistan’s health system has been fragile due to decades of war, poverty and underinvestment in infrastructure. However, he emphasised that current restrictions have worsened women’s and girls’ access to healthcare services.
He termed structural weakness in the healthcare system, restrictive policies imposed by the Taliban and cuts in international funding as the three causes of the crisis. Bennett said more than 300 clinics have been forced to shut due to funding cuts, while working hours and staffing levels, particularly among female doctors, nurses and midwives, have been significantly reduced.
He said that the Taliban’s restrictions on women, like banning them from pursuing medical education, restricting their freedom of movement and requiring a male guardian to visit clinics has created obstacles for them to access healthcare.
The report adopts a “multi-dimensional” approach, analysing the discrimination faced by the women. Females in rural areas, especially those having disabilities, elderly women and those without a male guardian, face even greater hindrances in accessing physical, mental and reproductive healthcare services.
Bennett called Afghan women and girls’ determination to pursue education a sign of hope and stressed that education empowers an individual to understand and claim their rights. Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban has banned girls from secondary schools, universities and medical institutes, sparking concern about the long-term sustainability of Afghanistan’s health sector.
On February 10, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stated that the economic conditions of Afghan women remain fragile, with limited access to jobs and income opportunities, deteriorating household vulnerabilities in Afghanistan, local media reported.
The report released on February 10 has revealed that 75 per cent of Afghans face difficulty in meeting daily needs, while 88 per cent of female-headed households do not have access to minimum living requirements, showcasing severe economic pressure faced by residents, Khaama Press reported.
Afghanistan’s economy has been weakened by years of conflict, economic isolation and reduced international aid, leaving millions of people dependent on humanitarian support and informal income sources for survival.
Furthermore, restrictions on women’s employment and education in Afghanistan have also reduced income opportunities, resulting in many families being dependent on irregular work while poverty and food security are increasing.
UNDP stated that only seven per cent of women work outside the home in comparison to 84 per cent of men, showcasing gender disparity in employment opportunities in Afghanistan.
