Farida woke one night in July with a toothache that quickly turned unbearable. “My teeth had been ruined for years. My molars on both sides of my mouth were severely damaged. I couldn’t sleep at night and could barely eat,” she told the Guardian. She lives in Herat, a city in western Afghanistan, where female patients like her face a growing barrier: an unofficial Taliban restriction that bars male doctors from treating women.
Farida, 37, and her family had returned from Iran earlier this year after being forced to leave. They struggled to find work and income in Herat’s strained economy. Medical care became a luxury rather than a basic necessity. Despite the pain, Farida’s options were limited by the Taliban’s policy, which has left many women unable to see male doctors for anything beyond emergencies.
Women in Herat are now forced into desperate situations to get treatment. The unofficial ban means female patients cannot visit male dentists, surgeons, or general practitioners. Clinics staffed exclusively by women are rare. Female doctors are in short supply, leaving women reliant on male doctors who are barred from treating them.
Farida’s dental pain pushed her to visit a clinic in Herat’s Bakrabad area in early July. The clinic was staffed mostly by male dentists. She said the visit was difficult under the circumstances. Local sources described similar stories from other women, some resorting to self-treatment or relying on family members with medical knowledge. Others delay care until conditions become critical.
The Taliban have not issued an official statement about this restriction. The policy appears to be enforced quietly through local health authorities and clinics. It is not part of the group’s publicly stated rules but has been confirmed by multiple interviews with women and health workers in Herat.
Afghanistan’s health system, already strained by years of conflict, sanctions, and economic collapse, faces new challenges as women’s access to healthcare narrows. Female health workers face increasing pressure too, with fewer opportunities and growing restrictions on their movement and work.
The impact is clear in Herat’s clinics and hospitals. Women with chronic illnesses, dental problems, and pregnancy complications face delays and refusals. The restriction also affects routine checkups and preventive care, increasing risks of untreated conditions.
Farida’s story is one of many. Her struggle highlights a growing crisis in Afghan healthcare, where political decisions shape life and death. The unofficial ban on male doctors treating women in Herat is a policy enforced without public acknowledgment, yet its effects are immediate and painful.
According to The Guardian.
