Kandahar, Afghanistan ( The COW News Digital) The Taliban government has issued a new directive prohibiting women from seeking dental treatment from male dentists in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. According to reports by Al Arabiya News, Taliban officials visited several dental clinics in the provincial capital, ordered female patients to leave, and handed out official notices instructing clinic owners to refuse treatment to women by male practitioners.
This development marks yet another step in the Taliban’s tightening restrictions on women’s public life and healthcare access since reclaiming power in August 2021. Local sources say the order has created confusion and concern among both patients and dentists, as female dental professionals are scarce in Kandahar and surrounding regions.
Health experts fear this decision could severely limit access to basic oral healthcare for women, potentially leading to a rise in untreated dental diseases. “This is not just about teeth — oral health affects overall health. Preventing women from seeking treatment will worsen preventable problems,” one Kabul-based medical professional, who requested anonymity, told local media.
The Taliban’s latest order follows a series of similar restrictions targeting Afghan women’s rights and freedoms. Earlier this month, authorities banned “romantic poetry” and unauthorized poetry gatherings nationwide. Since 2021, the Taliban have barred girls from attending secondary schools and universities, prohibited women from working with international NGOs, and shut down women-only parks, gyms, and sports facilities. Women athletes remain banned from participating in international competitions.
Human rights groups have repeatedly condemned these measures, warning that Afghanistan is facing one of the most severe gender-based rights crises in the world. The United Nations has also urged the Taliban to roll back such policies, calling them “systemic violations of women’s rights.”
Despite international pressure, Taliban leaders maintain that their decisions are in line with their interpretation of Islamic principles. There has been no official statement clarifying whether female dentists will be appointed to fill the healthcare gap created by this new ban.
Observers note that such restrictions may further isolate Afghanistan from the global community, deepen the humanitarian crisis, and push more women into poverty as their access to education, employment, and healthcare continues to shrink.
