Taliban’s No-Contact Rule Hinders Afghan Women’s Rescue After Quake
Following the recent earthquake in Afghanistan, the situation for women has been exacerbated by Taliban-enforced gender restrictions and centuries-old customs. These rules, forbidding unrelated male rescuers from touching women, have resulted in women being left behind during rescue efforts, as male rescuers hesitate to assist. The lack of female healthcare workers, due to the Taliban’s ban on women’s education in certain fields, further compounds the problem in rural areas. Consequently, women are often ignored or left waiting for assistance, and are disproportionately impacted by the disaster.
John Q. Hosedrinker