In Herat province in western Afghanistan, the Taliban strictly prohibited women from entering hospitals or other government institutions without a burqa. This is stated in the new order of the Department for the Promotion of Good and the Prevention of Vice.
Previously, women could enter medical institutions wearing hijabs, masks, or chadors. But in the new order, only burqa - clothing completely covering the body and face, with eyes also covered with a net - was defined as a permissible form.
Now in Herat, not only sick women arriving at hospitals, but also female doctors and nurses will be required to wear burqas.
According to a Tolo News source, the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs had previously urged taxi drivers not to transport women without burqas. Many drivers are forced to obey this order.
Photos of medical workers wearing burqas vaccinating young patients are being widely discussed on social networks. According to experts, this restriction further narrows women's access to the healthcare system and makes it difficult to access medical services.
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