As part of its restrictions on women, Taliban bars females from medical licensing exam

The Taliban-run National Examination Authority announced on Tuesday that the upcoming medical licensing competency exam for newly graduated doctors will exclude female candidates, Afghan Amu news outlet said. The exam, scheduled for December 28, will only be open to male participants, following a directive from the Taliban-led Ministry of Higher Education.

Irfanullah Ebad, a spokesman for the examination authority, expressed hope that future exams might accommodate women but did not provide a timeline. The decision comes shortly after the Taliban banned women from attending medical institutes, drawing widespread criticism.

Female medical graduates, who have been excluded from the licensing exam multiple times, voiced concerns over the impact on Afghanistan’s healthcare system. They highlighted the critical need for female doctors, particularly in rural areas where access to medical care for women is already limited.

Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed increasingly strict limitations on women’s rights, barring them from higher education, professional employment, and public life, drawing international condemnation.