The Taliban has reportedly ordered the closure of midwifery and nursing programs across Afghanistan, cutting off the last avenue of education for women in the country. This decision leaves around 17,000 female trainees in limbo and raises fears for the future of maternal healthcare in Afghanistan, where women already face one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Videos shared online show students weeping as they are forced to leave their classrooms, with no clarity on whether they will ever be allowed to return.
Compiled from: Flora Drury and Turpekai Gharanai, "Afghan women 'banned from midwide courses' in latest blow to rights," BBC News, Dec. 3, 2024.