In the aftermath of the deadly earthquake that shook eastern Afghanistan, killing 2,205 people, injuring 3,640, and destroying more than 8,000 homes across Kunar and Nangarhar, a new crisis has emerged: the absence of female health workers. Survivors say that among the dead and injured were many women, yet the majority of the treatment in local hospitals is carried out by male doctors — raising serious cultural and ethical concerns.
Local residents, who requested anonymity, said they want women to be treated by female doctors and nurses, but the few women allowed to work in the sector are nowhere near enough to respond to the scale of the disaster. “We need more female doctors, more nurses. Our women are suffering,” one resident told TKC.
The issue has gone unreported inside Afghanistan, as no female journalist is permitted to work freely or visit affected areas to highlight women’s suffering. Citizens have even raised their grievances directly with Taliban officials, demanding reforms and the urgent need for female education, but the regime remains unmoved.
This catastrophe not only exposed Afghanistan’s fragile infrastructure but also the Taliban’s repressive policies that continue to deny women education, work, and the ability to serve their own communities in times of crisis.
This is the time for the IEA government to realize the urgent need for female education and to allow women to participate in every sector. Progress without women is nearly impossible for any nation.
