UN mission hails Afghanistan' administration for allowing girl students to enrol in medical colleges

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Thursday welcomed the Afghan interim government's decision to allow girl high school graduates admission to state-run medical colleges from the next academic year, which begins in March.

“UNAMA welcomes decision by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to enable female gr 12 graduate(s) enrolment in medical institutions in 11 provinces,” the UN mission said in a post on X, calling the move “a step in addressing worrying healthcare gaps,” in the war-torn country.

“Women and girls require full secondary/university education access," it added.

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The enrolment process has already begun in 11 Afghan provinces, following a directive from the Ministry of Public Health, a spokesman for the Information Ministry told Anadolu on the phone.

Following the decision, he added, girl students who have completed grade 12 can apply for admission to medical colleges in Kapisa, Paktia, Parwan, Panjshir, Paktika, Bamyan, Badakhshan, Ghazni, Maidan Wardak, Khost, and Logar provinces.

The interim Taliban government has faced criticism for prohibiting girls from acquiring their education beyond the sixth grade and for prohibiting women from working in both the public and private sectors since regaining power in Afghanistan in August 2021.