UN Expert to Present Alarming Report on Afghan Women’s Health at Human Rights Council

GENEVA — The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, is set to present a critical new report to the UN Human Rights Council next week, focusing on the deteriorating right to health for women and girls under Taliban rule.

In a statement released on Friday via social media platform X, Bennett confirmed he is in Geneva preparing for the 61st session of the Human Rights Council following a recent regional visit to Pakistan. He announced that he will formally present his findings on February 26, with the report zeroing in on the severe restrictions impacting the health and well-being of Afghan women and girls, while also providing an overview of recent human rights developments in the country.

Bennett, who has been barred from entering Afghanistan by the de facto Taliban authorities, has been conducting interviews and gathering testimony remotely and from neighboring countries. During his recent visit to Pakistan, he met with officials to discuss the cross-border human rights implications and the situation of Afghan refugees.

Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have systematically dismantled women’s rights, enforcing a gendered apartheid. Their decrees have effectively barred women and girls from most forms of employment and secondary and higher education. This systemic exclusion is now having cascading and often deadly effects on the healthcare sector.

In several provinces, women face insurmountable barriers to accessing medical care. These include:

• Male Guardian Requirement: Women are often prohibited from traveling or seeking medical attention without a mahram (a close male relative), a rule that can be fatal for unmarried women or those in abusive households.

• Gender-Based Restrictions in Care: Limitations have been imposed on male doctors treating female patients, creating a critical care gap. This is particularly devastating given that the Taliban’s education bans have halted the training of new female nurses and doctors, leading to an acute shortage of female medical professionals.

The report’s release is timed with heightened awareness of these injustices. On Friday, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) marked World Social Justice Day by underscoring that equal access to services—including healthcare and education—is a fundamental pillar of social justice.

“Sustainable peace and development in Afghanistan remain unattainable without the inclusive participation of all Afghans and non-discriminatory access to basic rights,” UNAMA stated, placing particular emphasis on the plight of women and girls.

Bennett’s upcoming presentation at the Geneva council is expected to galvanize international scrutiny and renew urgent calls for the Taliban to reverse their oppressive policies, which the UN and human rights organizations have characterized as crimes against humanity.

 

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