In Afghanistan, male doctors have been declared "mahram" for female patients.
However, religious experts criticize this decision as not being in accordance with Islamic principles.
Taliban government's decision, male doctors are considered "mahram" — a religiously permissible relative — when treating female patients in clinical settings. This was announced by Hamdullah Nomani, the Minister of Communication under the Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
Nomani spoke at an event with doctors in Kabul on February 18 about the special religious permission granted to male doctors for treating female patients.
"As a minister, I am not allowed to look at a woman's face in our city. But you, doctors, are permitted to see all parts of a female patient's body and even remove her clothes when she is on the operating table," he said.
Nomani asked doctors to use this right carefully and emphasized that it should not be abused.
This change was announced at a time when strict restrictions on women's education and employment continue under Taliban rule. Across Afghanistan, girls have been barred from secondary and higher education, and women have been deprived of the right to work in many professions and fields.
Consequently, the number of qualified female doctors in the country is decreasing year by year. Due to the limited participation of women in the healthcare sector, it has become very difficult to find suitable doctors for female patients in many areas.
Previously, the Taliban's practice regarding the mahram requirement meant that women could only receive treatment if accompanied by a close male relative (mahram) or only from female doctors. This often completely deprived women of healthcare services.
