Taliban Communications Minister Says Male Doctors Are 'Mahram' for Women

Hamadullah Naumani, Taliban minister of communications, stated at a graduation ceremony for specialist doctors in Kabul that male doctors are considered 'mahram' for female patients and are permitted to remove their clothing and touch their bodies during treatment.

Naumani said: "As a minister in this city, I do not have permission to see a woman's face. But for you (doctors), this authority has been given that when a woman is on your operating table, all her features are in front of you, and to this extent, you are allowed to remove her clothing."

The remarks come amid Taliban restrictions on women's access to healthcare. A UNAMA report from early November noted that Taliban enforcers in some provinces have pressured male doctors to avoid treating female patients, and in certain areas, women require a male 'mahram' to receive treatment. Sources informed Afghanistan International in early October that enforcers in Kandahar instructed male dentists not to treat women. Afghanistan International also reported on February 17, citing an official document, that the Taliban ordered teaching hospitals to prevent simultaneous presence of male and female medical staff in surgery rooms.

The Taliban banned women from medical education institutions last December, exacerbating a shortage of female healthcare workers, particularly in rural areas. International organizations have warned that these restrictions endanger women's and girls' lives and could create a crisis in Afghanistan's medical system.

At the same event, graduating about 500 health specialists, Noorjalal Jalali, Taliban minister of public health, stated that "trade must be separated from medicine." He added that preparations for 100 out of 318 district-level hospitals nationwide have been completed, with construction to begin soon.

Treatment and medicine costs have surged following the closure of border crossings and trade routes with Pakistan.