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Afghan women ‘banned from midwife courses’ in latest blow to rights
Women training as midwives and nurses in Afghanistan have told the BBC they were ordered not to return to classes in the morning – effectively closing off their last route to further education in the country.
Five separate institutions across Afghanistan have also confirmed to the BBC that the Taliban had instructed them to close until further notice, with videos shared online showing students crying at the news.
The BBC has yet to confirm the order officially with the Taliban government’s health ministry.
However, the closure appears to be in line with the group’s wider policy on female education, which has seen teenage girls unable to access secondary and higher education since August 2021.
The Taliban have repeatedly promised they would be readmitted to school once a number of issues were resolved – including ensuring the curriculum was “Islamic”. This has yet to happen.
One of the few avenues still open to women seeking education was through the country’s further education colleges, where they could learn to be nurses or midwives.
Midwifery and nursing are also one of the only careers women can pursue under the Taliban government’s restrictions on women – a vital one, as male medics are not allowed to treat women unless a male guardian is present.
Just three months ago, the BBC was given acess to one Taliban run midwife training centre where more than a dozen women in their 20s were learning how to deliver babies. The women were happy to have been given the chance to learn.
“My family feels so proud of me,” a trainee called Safia said. “I have left my children at home to come here, but they know I’m serving the country.”
But even then, some of the women expressed fear about whether even this might be stopped eventually.
What will happen to those women – and another estimated 17,000 women on training courses – is unclear.
No formal announcement has been made, although two sources in the Ministry of Health confirmed the ban to BBC Afghan off the record.
In videos sent to the BBC from other training colleges, trainees can be heard weeping.
“Standing here and crying won’t help,” a student tells a group of women in one video. “The Vice and Virtue officials who enforce Taliban rules are nearby, and I don’t want anything bad to happen to any of you.”
Other videos shared with the BBC show women quietly protesting as they leave the colleges – singing as they make their way through the hallways.
One Kabul student said she had been told to “wait until further notice”.
“Even though it is the end of our semester, exams have not yet been conducted, and we have not been given permission to take them,” she told the BBC.
Another student revealed they “were only given time to grab our bags and leave the classrooms”.
“They even told us not to stand in the courtyard because the Taliban could arrive at any moment, and something might happen. Everyone was terrified,” she said. “For many of us, attending classes was a small glimmer of hope after long periods of unemployment, depression, and isolation at home.”
What this means for women’s healthcare also now remains to be seen: last year, the United Nations and Afghanistn need an additional 18000 midwives to meet the country’s needs.
Afghanistan already has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with a report released last year noting 620 women were dying per 100,000 live births.
[BBC]
At 67 for 5 in the 12th over, Pakistan were under the cosh against Bqngladesh in their bronze-medal playoff at the Asian Games women’s competition. That’s when Fatima Sana walked out, slammed 45 in 30 balls, and gave Pakistan 145, which was 31 too many for Bangladesh, especially after Umm-e-Hani picked up three top- and middle-order wickets to end with 3 for 10 from her four overs.
Bangladesh’s big concern, of late and in general, has been the number of dot balls they play out in a typical T20 innings. In this game, it was a marginal improvement from the loss to India in the semi-final – they had 43 dot balls here compared to 61 in that game. But it was still fewer than the 48 they bowled to Pakistan in the first half. The difference was Sana, who scored at 150.00 to change the complexion of the contest.
Pakistan’s start had been decent, thanks to Gull Feroza, after they won the toss and opted to bat. Feroza and Shawaal Zulfiqar added 46 in 41 balls before being separated in the seventh over. The one to be dismissed was Feroza, who had scored 31 in 23 balls. Zulfiqar batted on before becoming the third batter to fall, having struggled to 17 off 27 balls. And the wickets kept falling, Shorna Akter picking up two of them to leave Pakistan in a mess with five batters gone.
Sana had a solid stand for the sixth wicket with Aliya Riyaz, who scored 25 in 22 balls and added 67 with Sana in just 43 balls. The control Bangladesh had was gone with the two hitting five sixes between them.
The target for Bangladesh, which looked like it might be in the region of 100, was suddenly closer to 150. And the chase never took off. Umm-e-Hani struck in the third over, then in the fifth over, and again in the 16th over. By then, Bangladesh were floundering: 77 for 5 with under five overs to go.
The resistance came from senior pro Sharmin Akther, who scored an unbeaten 46 in 45 balls, but there was nothing around her, and Pakistan ran out comfortable, 31-run victors.
Scores:
Pakistan women 145 for 8 in 20 overs (Shawaal Zulfiqar 17, Fatima Sana 45, Gull Feroza 31, Aliya Riyaz 25; Sanija Akter Meghla 1-28, Nahida Akter 2-21, Shorna Akter 2-16, Ritu Moni 2-27) beat Bangladesh women 114 for 7 in 20 overs (Dilara Akter 12, Nigar Sultana 25, Sharmin Akhter 46*, Nahida Akter 10*; Tasmia Rubab 1-25, Fatima Sana 1-25, Umm-e-Hani 3-10, Nashra Sandhu 1-19, Ayesha Zafar 1-10) by 31 runs
(Cricinfo)
India Women won the toss and chose to bat first in the Asian Games women’s cricket final in Nishin, Japan.
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, G Kamalini, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma
Sri Lanka: Imesha Dulani, Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Hasini Perera, Kavisha Dilhari, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Hansima Karunaratne, Kaushini Nuthyangana (wk), Kawya Kavindi, Mithali Ayodhya, Chamudi Praboda, Sugandika Kumari
(Cricinfo)
The National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC), which is being established under the Presidential Secretariat with the aim of removing administrative and regulatory barriers that exist among government institutions in relation to investment and industry and expediting these processes, will be opened tomorrow (22).
The centre is being established on the President’s initiative with the aim of bringing about a positive transformation in the industrial sector. The centre will provide solutions to issues that arise in dealing with the government machinery when starting and operating a business, while also coordinating with the relevant government institutions to provide the necessary facilities.
The “ViYASA” National Business Facilitation Centre (NBFC) has been established at Building C-80, Hector Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Colombo 07, and is headed by Senior Additional( Secretary to the President, Seevali Arukgoda.
The centre will be opened under the patronage of Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr Anil Jayantha Fernando and Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, with the participation of Secretary to the President Dr Nandika Sanath Kumanayake.
The website https://nbfc.presidentsoffice.gov.lk is also scheduled to be officially launched on the occasion.
President’s Media Division)
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