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Photo: AP/Bram Janssen Women and girls in remote areas of Herat province have complained about the lack of access to healthcare services, stating that the absence of doctors and the distance from health centers have led to the death of many patients, particularly pregnant women during childbirth. These women have emphasized the need for the establishment of healthcare centers and have called on the Taliban's Directorate of Public Health in the province to take serious action in setting up health centers to save the lives of women and girls in remote areas of this province. Ozra, a 67-year-old elderly woman from the Farsi district of Herat province, sits in a corner of a tent and says that due to the lack of healthcare centers and midwives, most pregnant women experience horrific and abnormal childbirths. She told Zan TV: "Pregnant women here live in fear before childbirth, afraid they might die because we have no doctors or clinics. Six months ago, my daughter-in-law died during childbirth. We were poor and couldn’t afford to take her to the city. She gave birth at home, and in the end, both she and her baby died." Nazanin, a 19-year-old who has been married for a year, pleads with the Taliban to establish a healthcare center in her area to save her life and the life of the child she is carrying. She says, "Every morning when I wake up, I thank God that I didn’t go into labor during the night. I am terrified that if my baby is born at night, either I will die or my baby will. We don’t have a vehicle to take me to the hospital in Herat city. As you can see in this village, there are no doctors or medicine. I urge the government to build a clinic for us." Meanwhile, Kubra, a resident of Chesht district in Herat province, who ill and lies bedridden in a corner of her home, Complaining about the remoteness of the district's health center, she says that on one hand, economic difficulties have prevented her from going to private hospitals, and on the other hand, she has no access to free health centers. "It's been two weeks that my whole body has been in pain. At first, I had a headache, but now my entire body hurts. I didn’t have money to go to a doctor because the cost of the doctor and medicine is too high. There is no clinic in the village to give me free medicine either." Women in remote areas of Herat province complain about the lack of access to healthcare services and the absence of midwives in their regions. This comes as the Taliban, in December of this year, banned girls from attending medical institutes—a restriction that has sparked strong reactions from national and international organizations.

Photo: ATIF ARYAN | AFP via Getty Images Women Hairdressers: The Taliban Even Envied the Bread on Our Table Thousands of women and girls who earned a living through hairdressing during the twenty years of the Republic system say they are now facing a chaotic economic and psychological situation. These women hairdressers say that Mullah Hibatullah (the absent leader of the Taliban) has not only emptied their tables of bread by issuing the decree to ban women's hairdressing activities in Afghanistan, but has also forced many of them to leave the country. Salma Faizi, who had a beauty salon in a corner of Pul-e-Surkh in Kabul, says that six months after the issuance of the Taliban leader's decree, she was forced to seek refuge in Iran to support her five orphaned children. "The Taliban even envied the bread on our table because I was a woman and earned my living this way for my children. When my salon was shut down, I sold the items I had at home for six months and used the money to support my life and my children. I couldn't survive any longer, so I had to come to Iran. But right now, the situation here is worse than in Afghanistan." Bahnaz, another woman hairdresser who is now working in a clothing production workshop in Kerman, Iran, shares the reason for her migration in an interview with Zan TV: "My husband couldn't work because he had lost one of his legs in an accident. We were seven people at home. I didn't become a hairdresser out of happiness. When I saw my children hungry, I entered this profession and learned it. But the Taliban didn't let us earn a living from this way. I was forced to seek refuge with the Iranians. Here, I work for 50,000 Tomans a day, but it's not enough to sustain life." On the other hand, these women hairdressers who are in Iran say that due to economic difficulties and the lack of employment opportunities in that country, they have developed mental health issues. Feroozah, who used to work as a hairdresser in Herat, says: "Right now, our living situation is very bad. My husband was addicted, and I became both the father and mother for my children. But the Taliban took our profession away, and they also took our home. In Iran, there's no work for me. I’m so stressed that I've become mentally ill. I can’t sleep at night, and I suffer from headaches." Meanwhile, some women's rights and human rights activists, concerned about the situation of women hairdressers, are urging the Taliban to lift their restrictions and provide women with opportunities for work and employment again. Adila Jafari, a women's rights activist, says: "These women did not become hairdressers out of happiness; rather, the hungry stomachs of their families forced them to find a way to earn bread. Most of them are widows, orphaned daughters, or women whose husbands are sick or disabled. But the Taliban have wronged them. Our demand is that they allow women to work and engage in activities again so that their problems can be resolved." Women hairdressers, who lost their profession following the Taliban leader's decree on the 25 July, 2023, speak of their economic instability and mental health issues. According to information provided by the Women's Hairdressers Union in Kabul, more than 60,000 women and girls were working as hairdressers in Afghanistan. However, with the issuance of the ban on hairdressing activities, many of these women have migrated to neighboring countries in search of income and to support their families.

Photo: UNICEF/Shehzad Noorani Food Insecurity Has Forced Women in Afghanistan to Sell Their Hair Poverty and desperation in the cold winter season on one hand, and the Taliban's restrictions on women's work and employment on the other, have forced some women and girls in Afghanistan to choose between hunger and beauty. They say that having long hair in Afghanistan makes women and girls appear attractive, confident, and more beautiful. However, the widespread poverty, food insecurity, and difficult economic conditions have forced them to sell this charm and beauty. Ghonchah Gol, a 38-year-old woman and one of the victims of this situation who sold her hair in exchange for dry bread to feed her children, tells Zan TV: "I sold everything valuable in the house that people would buy, there was nothing left for us. Look at my poor children, they are malnourished, I didn’t even have bread to give them for lunch. My poor children kept crying, saying Mother, we are hungry. At 2 p.m., a little child was shouting in the street, calling out I buy dry bread, old iron, wool, and hair. I went outside and asked him, Dear, do you also buy human hair?" As the sorrowful dust settles on Ghonchah Gol’s face and tears flow from her eyes, she continues her story, adding: "The poor child said, Yes, aunt, we also buy hair. I told him, Wait for ten minutes, my child. I went and grabbed the scissors, cried so much. In the end, I said, God forgive me, but I will feed my children. I cut my hair and gave it to the child. I asked, How much will it be? He said, Aunt, it will be 200 Afghanis. I said, Dear, go to the bakery and buy bread with this money for me." Mursal is one of the child laborers in Herat province who carries the responsibility of providing for his widowed mother and four younger sisters on his young shoulders. She says that due to economic problems and the lack of a guardian, not only did her mother sell her own hair, but also Mursal's brown hair. "We had nothing at home, my father is sick, he had surgery a long time ago and he can't work now. My mother goes to the neighbors' houses to work. For a week, the neighbors didn't have any work, so my mother was unemployed. She asked if I would mind if she sold my hair. I felt sorry for both my mother and my hair. First, my mother cut her own hair, then she cut mine." These women say that hair buyers determine the price for them based on the type and thickness of the hair. Shahnaz is another woman who has resorted to selling her hair due to poverty and financial hardship. She says, "Everyone is doing this because of the poor economy. Who likes to be without hair? But now, those who buy hair, if the hair is long and not dyed, they offer a good price, but they buy shorter hair at a very low price." Nevertheless, economic analysts in Afghanistan consider the suspension of aid from humanitarian organizations and the ban on women’s work and employment as one of the reasons for women selling their hair. Sediqa Karimi, an economic expert, says: "The Taliban first imprisoned women. Imprisonment is not only about being in a cell, but the fact that they have been confined to their homes is a prison in itself. However, prison is better; at least prisoners are given bread. But in these women's homes, there is no bread. The Taliban's actions towards women have led humanitarian organizations to halt their aid to Afghanistan. Now, there seems to be no option left for these women except selling their hair, and tomorrow, perhaps, even prostitution may be the only option left for these women without a guardian." This comes at a time when the Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has declared the buying and selling of hair and body parts as un-Islamic and forbidden. Additionally, this ministry wrote on its X page on Sunday (January 12) of this year that they have prevented the trafficking of over one hundred kilograms of human hair in Faryab province and have arrested individuals in connection with this matter.

Exclusive The severity of the cold weather in the winter season has led to the booming of secondhand clothing markets in Herat province. Some needy families in Herat province, complaining about their economic difficulties, say that the cost of securing food on one hand and purchasing warm winter clothing on the other is a heavy burden on their weary shoulders. Khadija, a 38-year-old widow with empty pockets and economic struggles, has been drawn to the secondhand market to buy clothes for her six orphaned children from the shops in this marketplace. With a cold and painful sigh, she narrates the bitterness of her life: "I have 4 little girls and 2 boys. I am both their mother and father. There is nothing to eat at home. I am left bewildered, trying to find a piece of bread for my children. Winter has come, and from where should I get new warm clothes? I am forced to buy old coat and hats." With a throat full of sobs, Khadija says that her husband was a soldier in the National Army under the Republic system and was killed in the war with the Taliban. "There was no other way for my husband to work, so he joined the National Army. Eight months into his duty and military training, the news of his martyrdom reached us. He was torn apart. I wish I had died in his place, so my children would have had a father and a breadwinner." Shima is another middle-aged woman who is on hand secondhand clothes. She says that the lack of financial means and job opportunities has deprived her of the ability to buy new winter clothes. "We are poor and destitute people. From morning till evening, I wash clothes in this house and that neighbor's house, doing house cleaning so I can earn enough to manage my own household. My husband is sick and bedridden. I bought jackets and coats for myself and my four children with two hundred and fifty Afghanis. What is the solution?" On the other hand, some doctors in Herat province consider wearing secondhand clothes to be a cause of various diseases. Salmah Haidari, one of the specialist doctors, says: "Old clothes cause many diseases, ranging from allergies to illnesses such as hepatitis, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, and other ailments. We must be very cautious and try to avoid using secondhand and old clothes as much as possible." Nahid Karimi, another doctor, says that needy families should wear secondhand clothes only after disinfecting them. "Firstly, we should try to avoid wearing old clothes, but since poor families need warm clothing, they should first wash the clothes with soap and water, disinfect them, and then place them in the sunlight so that any germs and viruses on the clothes are eliminated." The winter cold and economic poverty have heated up the secondhand market, while OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, states that one-third of Afghanistan's population, approximately 14.8 million people, will need humanitarian aid this year to survive.

Victor J. Blue for The New York Times Although the leaders and representatives of the Taliban government have spoken about justice, equality between men and women, and ensuring women's rights in national and international meetings, nearly 20 strict decrees have been issued by Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the secret leader of this group, over the past year. These decrees have directly targeted the rights and lives of Afghan women. According to political analysts, the restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls by the Taliban leader in 2024 not only reflect the misogyny of this group but also reveal the true and unforgettable face of the Taliban's previous regime. The Direct Impact of the Taliban's Decrees on Women and Girls Since seizing power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban, through the issuance of numerous decrees and orders, have not only made life bitter for millions of women and girls but have also deprived them of their fundamental, human, and legal rights. According to a report by the Swedish non-governmental organization "ECAPS" on the Taliban's restrictions, while the group claims that their decrees aim to control social issues, women and girls have been significantly impacted by these laws and directives. Out of the 16 decrees issued by the Taliban leader up to December 2, 2024, two are related to matters of "Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" while the other 14 directly target the rights and lives of women. These include restrictions on education, dress codes, access to work and income, mandatory hijab for female students below grade six, the use of smartphones, and other aspects of their lives. However, in the final days of 2024, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, issued three additional restrictive decrees targeting women. These include the prohibition of girls attending private educational centers in Herat, a ban on constructing windows in homes to prevent women from being seen from the neighbors' windows while sitting or standing, and the prohibition of women working in non-governmental organizations. This brings the total number of such decrees in 2024 to 19. This comes at a time when, with the issuance of the decree banning girls from studying in health institutes, Hedar Bar, the Women's Rights Director at Human Rights Watch, has stated that the Taliban, through this ban, is creating conditions for the death of mothers and infants in Afghanistan. She has said: "This does not only mean the destruction of the dreams of those girls who wanted to study and help their community, but it also means that this will lead to the death of women who cannot access healthcare." Islamic Hijab or Mandatory Hijab? Although the Taliban issued a decree on May 7, 2022, stating that women and girls must cover their faces in public and emphasized that failure to comply would result in first a recommendation and then punishment, the Taliban leader did not stop at this decree. On July 23, 2024, he issued another decree making hijab mandatory for female students below grade six in schools and educational centers. Some of the girls affected by this decree, complaining about the strict laws of the Taliban, are calling for the reopening of school doors and the removal of these restrictions. Naziah, an 11-year-old girl who is in the fourth grade at one of the schools, says: "It’s been five or six months now that our teachers have told us not to come to class without wearing a prayer shawl, because the government has said we must wear a black shawl so that people don't see us, as it is considered a sin. But I want to be comfortable, and when I come to class, this shawl feels heavy on my head." Asma, another female student who is learning English at an educational center, says: "We are still children, we are at home without a shawl, and my father doesn't say anything. Why do the Taliban say we must wear a big prayer shawl? Should I focus on my school books, or this big shawl? My request is that I be allowed to come to my course without this shawl, and just in the school clothes I already wear." The Ban on Girls' Education in Medical Institutes: A Factor Contributing to the Humanitarian Crisis Following the decree issued by Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, on December 19, 2022, banning girls from studying at public and private universities, the only remaining pathway for education for the girls who had been deprived of their studies in Afghanistan was medical institutes. Thousands of girls across the country, by changing their fields of study, entered 175 medical institutes to pursue their lost hopes. However, on December 13, 2024, the Taliban leader issued another decree, closing the last door to education for girls. Aisha Faizi, who is in the final semester of midwifery at a medical institute in Kandahar province, says that due to intense anxiety, she has attempted suicide several times. She says: "I have tried several times to end my life, but God didn't allow it. I'm really tired, and every day I wait to see what the Taliban will say next, so I can obey their decree as a girl. I wanted to become a midwife and serve the people. The women in our village needed a midwife and a doctor, but the Taliban won't let us serve our people." Fariba, another girl deprived of education who has migrated to Iran due to this ban, says: "I was ready to fight against the Taliban's decrees. I came here to study. The seat of power is always made of wood, and the Taliban must know that these seats are not eternal. Maybe one day the system will change. At least I am showing that I am an Afghan girl, and even though my education is banned, I can beg for education in a neighboring country, but I will not give up on my efforts and will serve my people." The ban on girls' education in medical institutes has sparked strong reactions, including from Robert Dickson, the British Embassy's chargé d'affaires in Afghanistan, who expressed his deep concern on X, writing: "This is another insult to women's right to continue their education and will further restrict Afghan women and children's access to healthcare." The Final Nail to the Door of Girls' Education According to a report by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), following the decree issued by Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, banning education for girls above the sixth grade, more than 1.4 million girls across Afghanistan have been deprived of their education since March 22, 2022. However, in the final days of 2024, the leader of the group issued a new decree prohibiting girls from attending educational centers in Herat province. The officials of the Taliban's Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat province, citing the decree of Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada regarding the ban on education for girls above the sixth grade in educational centers, instructed relevant authorities on December 24, 2024, to prevent girls from attending educational centers in Herat province. Some girls, who have been deprived of attending private educational centers in this province, have described this action by the Taliban as driving the final nail into the door of girls' education. They say that with this ban, the last ray of hope has been extinguished in their hearts, but the fire of being confined to their homes has once again been ignited for them. Hiwa, a 22-year-old girl whose face is filled with sadness, speaks with a choked voice full of emotion to Zan TV: "I studied until the third semester at the Faculty of Psychology at Herat University, but with the ban on girls going to university, I sought refuge in an educational center to escape the mental struggles and confinement at home, to learn English and stay away from this situation. But today, they have closed that door on us as well." Shafiqah Shojahi, another girl who is learning a language at an educational center in Herat, complains about the strict laws of the Taliban. She says, "Although the Taliban had previously forced us to wear black veils, now they have also deprived us of the right to attend private educational centers." She says, "Believe me, it was very hard for me to accept wearing the veil, but in order to raise my capacity and level of awareness, I agreed. Right now, I don't know what the authorities of the Emirate want to do with us. I don't know what our sin is. I don't know which door to go to now." The Demand of Women and Girls for the Immediate End of Taliban Restrictions The women and girls of Afghanistan, who are directly affected by the Taliban's orders, are urging the international community and global organizations to intervene as soon as possible to put an end to this issue. Frishta Hamidi, a housebound judge from Herat province, said in an interview with Zan TV: "Look at what the Taliban is doing. The world must view the issue of Taliban's orders from a different perspective. This regime has placed Afghan women and girls under its magnifying glass, and they see nothing else. Therefore, human rights organizations and international bodies must defend the rights of women." Khadija Fazli, another woman who carried a weapon before the Taliban's rise to power and fought to protect her country against this group, says that now her days and nights are spent in fear and trembling. She urges human rights organizations to save the women of Afghanistan from this situation: "The Taliban has adopted a system of governance that aims solely to control women. They are only trying to dictate what women should or shouldn't do. Perhaps in a few days, the absent leader of the Taliban will say that women and girls should be buried alive. Our request is that human rights organizations defend us and see the condition we are in." As 2024 comes to a close, women's rights and human rights organizations have described this year as the peak of the Taliban's decrees on the rights and lives of women in Afghanistan, stating that the Taliban continue to impose laws and restrictions with even greater enthusiasm. Heather Barr, the director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch, referring to the grim lives of women and girls under the Taliban's decrees, stated that the group, by continuing its oppressive orders, has made life even more bitter for the women of this country. She added, "It is now evident that the Taliban, with the sense of power and boldness they have gained, are eagerly continuing their path of imposing restrictions on the rights and lives of women." It is worth mentioning that the Taliban government is approaching its fourth anniversary, yet the strict laws imposed by this group have prevented its recognition by countries around the world.

Photo: AFP/Wakil Kohsar Following the Taliban's successive bans on work, education, and schooling for girls and women, the Taliban's Directorate of Education in Herat province, on Tuesday (December 24), hammered the final nail in the door of girls' education by closing the gates of private educational centers to girls. Citing the decree of Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, regarding the prohibition of education for girls above the sixth grade, this directorate has instructed the relevant authorities to prevent girls from attending educational centers in Herat province. Meanwhile, girls deprived of education in Herat province say that with this ban, the Taliban have extinguished the last ray of hope in their hearts, but they have once again lit the fire of staying at home for them. Hewa, a 22-year-old girl whose face reflects sorrow and grief, speaks with a choked voice full of emotion to Zan TV, saying: "I studied until the third semester at the Faculty of Psychology at Herat University, but after the ban on girls attending university, I sought refuge in an educational center to escape the psychological challenges and confinement at home, to learn English and stay away from this situation. But today, they have closed this door to us as well." As Hewa warms her frozen hands with her breath, she continues with a trembling voice and teary eyes, saying: "There is a saying that goes, the final nail was hammered into the coffin of something. Today, the Taliban hammered the final nail into the door of education and schooling. Truly, there is no other way left for us because we are girls." Shima Karimi, another girl deprived of education and a third-year student at the Faculty of Public Administration and Policy at Herat University, turned to learning computer skills after the ban on education for girls. However, she says that by closing the doors of educational centers to girls, the Taliban have extinguished the last ray of light in their hearts. "I was confined to my home for a while, burning in the furnace of confinement. With the mental health issues still in place, I came to this center with the help of my family and friends to improve my computer skills. But now this has also been forbidden for us. Perhaps the Taliban will say in a few days that breathing is forbidden for girls. This was our last hope, and now even this light has turned to darkness." Shafiqa Shojai, another girl who is learning a language at one of Herat's educational centers, complains about the strict rules of the Taliban. She says that although the Taliban had previously forced them to wear black hijabs, they have now deprived them of the right to attend private educational centers." She says: "Believe me, it was very hard for me to accept wearing a full-body veil, but in order to increase my capacity and awareness, I accepted it. Right now, I don't know what the authorities of the Emirate want to do with us. I don't know what our sin is. I don't know which door to go to next." Nevertheless, some teachers at educational centers in Herat have described the new Taliban decree as concerning, saying that with the implementation of this decree, they have lost more than 90 percent of their students. Mahdia Mursal, a language teacher at one of the educational centers in Herat province, says: "Imagine, more than ninety percent of our students were girls above the sixth grade, but currently, not even ten percent remain in the classrooms. How can we pay for rent, electricity, and other expenses of our center? This action of the government is truly painful and concerning. Where has the world come, and which direction are we heading in?" According to these teachers, if the Taliban do not end the ban on girls' education at private educational centers, they will be forced to close the educational doors and leave their jobs. The Taliban have announced the ban on girls attending private educational centers in Herat province, while previously, on December 4 of this year, they had also declared the ban on girls' education in medical institutes.

Photo: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters "I took pills to die so I could be permanently free from the Taliban, but I survived misfortune..." "Even death didn't accompaniment me, let alone life..." "Where should I go, so that my name and trace of being a girl will not remain? Believe me, I am tired of this oppression of the Taliban..." "I just wanted to become a midwife, but my education was once again died..." These are direct quotes from girls who say they attempted suicide due to the ban on education in medical institutes by the Taliban. When the Taliban, through an official letter, issued the order to close the doors of private and public universities to girls on December 20, 2022, Shaqayeq, 23 years old, was studying in the sixth semester of the Journalism Faculty at Herat University. However, with this ban, she was not only confined to her home but also faced depression and emotional problems. Until her family once again planted the seed of hope in Shaqayeq’s heart and enrolled her in a midwifery program at one of Herat's medical institutes. But now, the dust of lost hope is reflected on Shaqayeq's face, and she says with a voice full of tears: "My only wish was to serve the people. I wanted to become a journalist, but the Taliban didn’t allow it. My family wanted me to become a doctor, and again, they took that opportunity away from me." Becoming a midwife was the only remaining path for Shaqayeq and her family to continue her education, but this dream of hers not only failed but, according to her, her dreams were killed for the second time in the fetal period. When the Taliban issued the order to ban girls from studying in medical institutes in December 2024, Shaqayeq's second semester had not yet finished. Shaqayeq says that upon hearing the news of the education ban, the emotional pressure forced her to attempt suicide, but with her mother's help, she was saved from the grip of death. With heartbreak and restlessness, she says: "When I wanted to go to my class, as I reached the door, a Taliban pointed his gun at us and said we were not allowed to go to the university, our studies were blocked. I cried and came home. Inside the house, I found four packs of pills. I took the pills to die so I could be permanently free from the Taliban, but unfortunately, I survived. When I took the pills, my mother noticed and quickly took me to the general hospital in Herat." Mursal is another one of the girls who, after the Taliban's order banning universities, changed her field of study and enrolled in one of Herat's medical institutes. However, with the closure of medical institutes' doors to girls, she has been confined to her home for the second time and deprived of the opportunity to continue her education. Mursal, who was studying in the final semester of pharmacy, says: "The Taliban is the enemy of girls. When I came home, I was very hopeless. I took poison to die, I was unconscious. My family took me to the hospital. What can I say? Even death didn’t accompaniment me, let alone life, which could accompaniment me. I am tired of life." Najia, the sister of this girl who was deprived of education, says that after the closure of education for Mursal, she was emotionally hurt for the second time and chose to remain in seclusion. Broken Hearts and Shattered Dreams After the Taliban took power in Afghanistan for the second time, they first announced the ban on education for girls above the sixth grade in schools. One year after this ban, they closed the doors of universities to girls, and finally, on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, they also announced the ban on the last remaining way for girls to continue their education. But the girls deprived of education say that with the strict bans of the Taliban, all their dreams have shattered, and they have no hope of continuing their education and life in Afghanistan. Khatira, who was studying in the final semester of the midwifery program at one of the medical institutes in Herat, says that if the Taliban had not prevented her education, she would have graduated in a few months. Khatira, who had come to terms with all the Taliban's restrictions, from changing her field of study to mandatory dress code, says with tearful eyes: "You tell me, where should I go, so that my name and trace of being a girl will not remain? Believe me, I am tired of this oppression of the Taliban. The Taliban do not give up their hostility towards women and girls. I wanted to become a midwife, but they didn’t allow it. Does a Taliban take his own wife to a male doctor? " Khatira, who is drowning in waves of hopelessness, pleads with the Taliban to reopen the doors of medical institutes to girls. Habiba, another student from the medical institutes in Herat province, says she had dreamed of going to the most remote parts of the province to treat the pain of women in areas deprived of health services, but now she herself is in need of healing. Habiba, who has been overwhelmed with worry and distress, says: "I just wanted to become a midwife, but my education was once again died. My goal was to go to the most remote area of Herat and help women, but the Taliban didn’t allow me to finish my studies." Death Lurking for Mothers and Newborns, Following the Taliban's Decision With the ban on education for girls in medical institutes, a large number of international organizations have deemed this Taliban decision a violation of human rights laws and have stated that with the absence of female doctors in Afghanistan, the maternal and neonatal mortality rates will significantly increase in the near future. The European Union has described the Taliban's decision as a 'horrific violation of fundamental human rights and an unjustifiable attack on women's right to education. The Union has called the consequences of the Taliban's decision to ban education for girls in medical institutes a 'deepening of the humanitarian crisis' in Afghanistan and has called on the Taliban to reopen the doors of education and learning for girls. Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, has also expressed concern over this Taliban decision, stating that the ban on education for girls in health institutes will have a devastating impact on Afghanistan's health system. These concerns are raised while, according to information provided by the United Nations Population Fund, for every 100,000 births in Afghanistan, 638 result in the death of mothers and newborns due to the lack of facilities and doctors. This represents the highest maternal and neonatal mortality rate in Asia. It is worth mentioning that the Taliban have not only banned girls from studying in medical institutes, but they also do not allow women and girls who have studied in medical fields to participate in the "Exit" exam.

Image: BBC A Narrative of Women's Painful Childbirth Under the Shadow of the Taliban “The clinic has been closed for three months. Noor Bibi, my daughter-in-law, became ill at midnight. She lost so much blood that she collapsed from weakness, and her baby suffocated. Before reaching the city by morning, my beloved daughter-in-law passed away in my arms.” Shirin Gul, the mother-in-law of 24-year-old Noor Bibi, narrates the crisis stemming from the lack of doctors and healthcare facilities in Gharmoshak village, Zindajan district of Herat province. Speaking with a deep sigh and a voice choked by sorrow, she says that this was Noor Bibi’s third child who not only suffocated before being born but also cost Noor Bibi her life due to severe bleeding and unbearable pain. “God did not take just one from me; He took both the innocent child and the mother. If only there had been a midwife.” Although Shirin Gul doesn't know why their local health center was closed, she says that even the mobile units of the health center have been taken away by the government for the past three months, leaving them without access to doctors or medication. According to Shirin Gul, to reach the nearest health center, they would have had to travel several kilometers. However, at the time of Noor Bibi’s childbirth, arranging transportation and paying for a vehicle was prohibitively expensive for this impoverished family. She explains that at two o’clock in the morning when Noor Bibi went into labor, the entire family sought help from Ghuncha Gul, the oldest woman (midwife) in their neighborhood, hoping she could oversee Noor Bibi's delivery. But contrary to expectations, Noor Bibi’s eyes closed due to severe pain and bleeding, and her newborn also lost its life due to suffocation. Shirin Gul, recounting the intensity of her daughter-in-law’s pain and bleeding in a distressed tone, says she made every effort to save both her grandchild and daughter-in-law, but could not manage to get Noor Bibi to a health center in time. “At first, I didn’t think it would turn out like this. My daughter-in-law’s condition worsened terribly, the bleeding increased, and there was no doctor. We didn’t even have a single medicine at home for pain relief or bleeding. I ran from house to house shouting, trying to find a car. Everyone said it was midnight and impossible to go to Herat city, at least 3,000 Afghanis were needed for the fare. I didn’t even have a hundred Afghanis at home. My grandchild died before my eyes, and my daughter-in-law died in my arms.” Shirin Gul says Noor Bibi’s delivery was extremely difficult. But due to the lack of transportation to take her to Herat’s central hospital, they were forced to endure her cries and agonizing moans from labor pain and bleeding until morning. “At dawn, when the mullah gave the call to prayer, the city-bound transport vehicles finally started moving. But by then, my daughter-in-law had stopped breathing, there was no sound from her. We put her in a wheelbarrow and took her to the end of the alley near the vehicle. With each moment, her body weakened. When I looked again, she was no longer breathing. She died in my arms.” According to Bibi Gul, Noor Bibi left behind two children named Esra and Rita. However, poverty and hardship have not spared two-year-old Rita either. Rita’s pale skin, thin face, and frail body reflect the signs of malnutrition. With concern, Bibi Gul says that due to the closure of the health center, children in the village no longer have access to nutritional supplements, and the number of malnourished children among neighboring families has reached over 25. “Look how skinny she’s become. The doctors said she’s suffering from malnutrition. She used to be fine. I would take her to the clinic and they would give us a food package. Now even that’s gone. I’m afraid this grandchild of mine might die from this illness. Many children are like this. Maybe more than 25 children just in our surrounding neighborhood are in the same condition.” Death of Infants During Childbirth Shaista, a 27-year-old resident of Zindajan district in Herat, told Zan TV that after the shutdown of health centers in the district, she lost her baby during childbirth two months ago and has since suffered from various health issues caused by bleeding and labor pain. “There’s no midwife. It's been over three months since left. People say the aid has been cut off and doctors left because they weren’t being paid. When I was nearing delivery, I fell ill at night. My husband went to bring my mother. When she arrived, I was barely conscious. My condition had worsened.” She adds that due to the lack of access to a doctor and medicine, her baby died during childbirth. Shaista, her voice trembling with tears, says that if her baby had survived, she would have been the first daughter in the family. She says she now has three sons, and although the life of girls in today’s Afghan society is dark and uncertain, having a daughter was a cherished dream for her and her family, one that was never fulfilled. “Children, whether boys or girls, are blessings from God, but the father of my sons and I really wanted a daughter. Because there was no doctor, the baby died. Two months ago, I experienced heavy bleeding and haven’t recovered since. I fall ill every day. And we don’t have doctors or medicine.” Replacing Doctors and Medicine with Amulets and Prayers by Mullahs Meanwhile, a number of pregnant women in Gharmoshak village, Zindajan district of Herat province, say that after the closure of their village health center, they have turned to mullahs for healing prayers and charms. Shabnam, one of the elderly women of the village and the daughter of a mullah herself, says that over the past three months, the number of women coming to her father for prayer sessions has increased. She considers one of the main reasons for this surge in women seeking prayers and amulets from her father to be the absence of a health center and the growing illnesses among the women in the village. “I myself went to my father to ask for a prayer. These days, many women and girls are coming to my father. The prayer comes from my father, but healing is from God. Earlier, when our clinic was open, people used to go there and get medicine. Now, just to find some comfort, they come to my father.” Shabnam says that medicine and prayer each have their own place, but it is necessary to provide healthcare services to the women and children deprived of medical facilities in this area. “It’s true that prayers have an effect, but there must also be doctors and medicine available to the people. If someone falls ill at midnight, there’s not even a single person who can give an injection.” According to the residents of Herat province, the shortage of healthcare personnel is evident across all districts and nearby villages because after the suspension of American health organizations’ activities, many health centers have ceased operations, not only in Herat but across other provinces as well. According to a report by the World Health Organization, after the suspension of activities and support from American health organizations in Afghanistan, more than 202 health centers across the country have been closed, and by the end of this month, this number may reach 220.

Photo: AP December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, but many women and girls with disabilities in Afghanistan complain about the additional challenges and hardships they face, saying they are living in difficult conditions. These women, complaining about the non-payment of their three years' worth of salaries and benefits by the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled under Taliban control, say that after losing their salaries, they have forgotten the pain of losing their limbs but carry the burden of hunger, poverty, and economic hardships on their weary shoulders. Kobra, a 19-year-old war victim sitting in a corner of Kabul on an old wheelchair, says that after her disability allowance and benefits were cut off by the Taliban government, she has been forced to extend her hand in begging from dawn to dusk to feed herself and her family. She says she is originally from Qala-e-Zal district in Kunduz province, but the fire of poverty forced her family to seek refuge in Kabul. "About nine years ago, when I returned home from school, there was a sudden terrifying noise. After that, I didn’t understand anything. I fell to the ground. I didn’t even feel any pain, but in front of me, there was a leg lying on the ground. I had become fainted. They took me to Kunduz Central Hospital, and today, this is the condition I am in." Pointing toward her legs with her finger and speaking with a voice choked with emotion, Kobra says, "One of my legs was completely severed, and the other was severely injured. The doctors amputated it. I didn’t see anything myself, but people say the Taliban had targeted a National Army Ranger vehicle with a rocket, and by bad luck, I was also caught in the attack." Kobra is not the only war victim whose economic poverty has led her to the streets of Kabul to beg, but Prima, another victim, lost not only her limbs but also her entire family when a Taliban mortar shell struck their house 14 years ago. She says she is originally from Faryab province and now lives in a rented room in Herat city, but for the past five months, she has been unable to pay her rent. Prima describes her living situation as follows: "It was almost fourteen years ago, on a Saturday, when we were sitting inside our house, and suddenly, our entire house collapsed. I couldn’t see anything; I was buried under the rubble. My father, three brothers, four sisters, and mother were all martyred together. The neighbors dug me out from under the debris, and for a year, my neighbor took care of me." As she begins speaking, the grief of losing her family members and her limbs is renewed for Prima, and with tears and sorrow, she says, "Ten years ago, due to having no guardian, I was forced to marry an elderly man, 68 years old. But now, misfortune has once again come to me." "I had no one, so I was forced to marry a man whose wife had passed away. My husband cannot do anywork. I have a six-year-old daughter who helps me move on my wheelchair, and every day I beg. I had an eight-year-old son who became ill and died. Every day, I beg from people and receive 50 to 100 Afghanis." Khadija is another woman who lost her left leg in a traffic accident and is now forced to beg on the streets of Herat. She says that although her annual disability allowance is small, if it were paid, it would save her from begging. Khadija, who has wrapped herself in a blue burqa to conceal her face, speaks with a sadness and painful voice, saying, "Sometimes I go to bed hungry at night. If I weren’t forced, why would I come out to beg? I was child when we were traveling to Badghis, the car overturned, and my leg was injured. We had economic problems and couldn't afford treatment, and in the end, the doctors had to amputate my leg. It's been a long time since anyone helped, and we didn’t have anything to eat for dinner. I went to bed without bread and woke up in the morning to beg again." She continues her speech with tears and says, "Life is very hard. No one wants to marry someone who is disabled. I don’t have a breadwinner in the house, my father has passed away, and the government has cut our allowance in half. This year, they gave me eleven thousand Afghanis. How am I supposed to live for twelve months with just eleven thousand Afghanis?" It is worth mentioning that the non-payment of allowances and rights to persons with disabilities has not only made life bitter for disabled women, but also many military and civilian disabled individuals have been deprived of their legal rights or have only received half of them since the fall of the republic system and the rise of the Taliban.

Image: AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd "My father sold me to feed his stomach." "The pain of the 100 lashes the Taliban gave me in front of the public is engraved in my brain, mind, and bones." "My father is more cruel than the Taliban. I am sick, I weave carpets to earn money to go to the doctor, but my father says, why should a girl go to the doctor?" These are the quotes of Afghan girls and women who are experiencing their tragic lives under the shadow of the gun and the so-called Islamic regime of the Taliban. November 25th is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women; but, in Afghanistan, violence in every sense has rooted deeply in every aspect of women's lives, intertwined with every moment of their existence, to the extent that the phenomenon of violence has become an inseparable part of the lives of women and girls in this country. Setara, a 15-year-old girl from Herat, once dreamed of becoming a pilot, hoping that one day she would soar above Afghanistan in a military aircraft, gazing at the land below. Every morning, she would tuck her books under her arm and head to school. However, now, with a voice filled with sorrow, a throat choked with emotion, and a body trembling from the pain and suffering, she says that with the rise of the Taliban and the ban on girls' education, not only has she not achieved her dream, but she has also experienced childhood motherhood, divorce, widowhood, and the burden of being the breadwinner for her family. She, just as she holds the strands of black wool, like her life, to weave them into a corner of her carpet, narrates her life’s hardships: "The rhythm of life did not dance to our tune. I was in seventh grade when the Taliban declared it forbidden for us to go to school. I, like thousands of other sisters, became a housebound girl. My father said I had to marry my cousin. I refused, but by force, he made me marry. Truly, my father sold me to fill his stomach. Seven months passed since my wedding, and he divorced me." Tears and crying no longer allow Setara peace. As she holds a corner of her scarf with her right hand and wipes away her tears, she says: "The Taliban showed no mercy to me, it was the people. But why did my father, who I was a part of, do this to me? Right now, neither my father provides food and expenses for me and my child, nor do I have anyone else. It has been two and a half years since my divorce and marriage." Setara, who once shone like a star among dozens of other girls and was the top student from first to seventh grade, now carries the sorrow of not having a guardian along with the responsibility of her eight-month-old child. Although Afghanistan has long been a place of violence for girls and women, with the return of the Taliban to power, life for millions of women and girls in Afghanistan has once again turned into a life in hell. Over three years since the Taliban’s gender-apartheid rule and the imposition of restrictions on work, activity, education, and learning for women and girls, the group has adopted its official and systematic policy of misogyny. Ayla Mohammadi, a 16-year-old girl and a resident of Daikundi province, still spends her nights haunted by nightmares of prison and the Taliban's whip, two years after the bitter reality of being publicly flogged. She says that for the crime of going to the Daikundi market with her cousin, she was arrested, imprisoned, and publicly flogged by the Taliban: "My father is in Iran, and I had no one else. I went to the market with my cousin to buy household items, but the Islamic Emirate forces arrested me, accusing me of going out with a non-mahram. They told me he was my boyfriend. We were imprisoned for two months, and every day they beat us with cables and whips." Ayla, with tearful eyes, continues her words and adds: "They would tie my hands with handcuffs. I was in an underground prison. After two months, they took me to a public square in front of all the people and lashed me 100 times for the crime of adultery. The burning sensation from the 100 lashes that the Taliban gave me in front of the public is engraved in my mind, my thoughts, and my bones. I will never forget how they unjustly tarnished my reputation." Aisha, another girl deprived of education and suffering from depression, has sought refuge in a carpet weaving workshop to find the funds for her treatment. However, she says that not only is she facing the injustice imposed on women and girls by the Taliban, but the oppression from her father is no less than that of the Taliban. "Last year, I went to school for the last time. When we finished sixth grade, the Taliban said we couldn’t go to school anymore. I became a housebound girl and fell into depression. I always cry. I’m sick, and for my treatment, I came to weave carpets. But my father takes the two thousand Afghanis I earn in a month. My father is even more cruel than the Taliban. I’m sick, weaving carpets so I can see a doctor, but my father says, ‘Why should a girl go to the doctor?’" While girls and women share bitter and harrowing accounts of the violence they face from the Taliban and domestic abuse, this year, on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, various domestic and international organizations, including the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Amnesty International, the Afghan Center for Legal Studies and Research, and protest movements, once again called for an end to the violence against women and girls in Afghanistan in their statements.