Health is the Right of Women and Girls

 Written by: Mohammad Nasir Sirat

According to the information provided by the Ministry of Public Health, about 80% of the population of Afghanistan have access to health services but in some remote villages, men don’t let their wives or daughters visit a doctor or go to a clinic. This action would cause serious health problems to women and girls.

The writer/producer AEPO has talked about this issue with some females and a doctor.

A mother from Parwan province says:

I didn’t have the right to go to a clinic. Now I suffer from kidney stones, blood cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Another woman, Zakira says: I have no permission to go to a doctor or a clinic. Now I have lost my memory and I suffer from diabetes, heart diseases, and sometimes I face paralysis and could not walk.

Doctor Gulnar Rashidi, a surgeon, and gynecologist in one of the private hospitals in Kabul city says:

If a man does not allow a woman to visit a doctor or go to a clinic, this woman would face many health problems. During delivering a baby, if she faces bleeding, the mother and her baby might die and if the mother has high blood pressure, she might face stroke.

Causes:

Nazia Mirzaee, a resident of Mazar-e-Sharif says: the causes of the prohibition of women to visit a doctor or a clinic are illiteracy, poverty and economic problems, mental retardation and less value to woman than a man

Amir Gul Baloch, a resident of Chaharbolak district of Balkh province says:

I do not allow women to go to a doctor or a clinic because our neighbors would say that I am so weak person to allow my family women to go out.

Solution:

Ata Mohammad Sawo, professor of Islamic affairs(Sharia) and director of Bokhdi Center in Mazar-e-Sharif says:

Some men do not allow their women during sickness to visit a doctor or go to a clinic. According to Islamic guides and ethical norms, man and woman have the same rights of health protection, clothing, food and financial support. Our center started to struggle against this issue. In this struggle clergies and elders of two districts, Chaharbolak and Balkh and the authorities of the ministry of education took part.