Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli raids targeted a cement plant, an asphalt factory, and fuel tanks in the Ansar area in South Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: A series of violent Israeli raids targeted the outskirts of the town of Ansar
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli warplanes raided the outskirts of the town of Shmestar in Bekaa, eastern Lebanon
Donald Trump will speak with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday: White House
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli warplanes raid the town of Bnaafoul, Saida district
YAF: Israeli enemy will pay for this crime.
Yemeni Armed Forces: Son of Major General Al-Ghamari martyred alongside him in Israeli aggression.
Yemeni Armed Forces: YAF mourns martyrdom of Chief of the General Staff Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Palestinian shot and killed by IOF east of Al-Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Occupation forces opened machine gun fire toward outskirts of Aitaroun as locals headed for olive harvest.

Taliban rebukes western allegation of contraceptive ban in Afghanistan

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 19 Feb 2023 15:30
3 Min Read

The Guardian reports on Saturday that the Taliban had prohibited the sale of all birth control drugs and devices to women in Afghanistan.

  • x
  • Contraceptive pills. (AFP/Getty)
    Contraceptive pills. (AFP)

Afghanistan's Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman Amar has rejected western claims on Sunday that the Taliban had effectively banned the sale of contraceptives to women, Sputnik reported on Sunday.

The report in question is one published by The Guardian on Saturday stating that the Taliban banned the sale of all birth control drugs and devices to women in Afghanistan. 

The report further said that the Taliban had done so because it was on the basis that the use of contraceptives was part of a "western conspiracy" aimed at controlling the number of Muslims.

The Afghan health ministry spokesman said that these allegations were all wrong and the decision to ban contraceptives was never made.

"In some cases, contraceptives are part of the treatment and are prescribed by the doctor as necessary after examining the patient's condition. The decision to ban [contraceptives] has not been made, this is all hearsay and allegations," Zaman Amar said. 

The spokesman also rebuked claims made in the report published by The Guardian, which stated that one in 14 Afghan women died from pregnancy-related reasons.

"According to our data, maternal and child mortality in the country has decreased compared to the previous years," he said.

Related News

Talks with Pakistan underway in Doha: Taliban gov. source

Delhi hosting Taliban FM point at India’s pragmatic shift vs Pakistan

Read more: About 4 million people in Afghanistan need urgent aid: Putin

Women in Afghanistan have recently faced a series of regressive policies since the  Taliban took power in August 2021 after a hasty US withdrawal.

Afghanistan's Ministry for Higher Education said that the Taliban authorities implemented on December 20, 2022, a nationwide ban on university education for females, which is a move that comes just three months after thousands of women sat for entrance examinations for higher education across the country.

"You all are informed to immediately implement the mentioned order of suspending the education of females until further notice," said a statement signed by the Minister for Higher Education, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, delivered to all public and private academic institutions.

Right after the Taliban took over power, universities were ordered to implement new regulations that prohibited gender mixing in classrooms and entrances.

Before this announcement, there was already a ban set in place on girls' secondary education, which had already caused severely limited access to higher education. 

Some officials claimed that the ban was only temporary and that more time is needed to reform the curriculum in accordance with Islamic principles. Another reason for the school closures, according to some, is a lack of funds.

Read more: Russian envoy: Evidence of US sponsoring ISIS in Afghanistan

  • Afghanistan
  • Taliban
  • Taliban movement

Most Read

Iran strikes secret Israeli-US bunker under Tel Aviv high-rise

Tel Aviv high-rise struck by Iran hid Site 81, secret US-Israeli base

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Palestinian journalist Saleh al-Jaafarawi in an undated image in Gaza, occupied Palestine (Social media)

Gaza Palestinian journalist Saleh al-Jafarawi killed by collaborators

  • Politics
  • 12 Oct 2025
drop site

New report details extensive Israeli arson in Gaza after ceasefire

  • Politics
  • 13 Oct 2025
Illustration of fists breaking shackles, representing the liberation of Palestinian detainees from Israeli prisons. (Illustrated by: AL Mayadeen English/Batoul Chamas)

4 prominent Palestinian detainees to be freed: Who are they?

  • Palestine
  • 13 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
A person shops at a grocery store in Schaumburg, Ill., Thursday, September 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Economy

75% of Americans report higher costs despite Trump’s inflation claim

With the government shutdown now in its third week, a sign turns away tourists at the entrance to the Capitol Visitor Center, in Washington, Wednesday, October 15, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Politics

US judge blocks shutdown layoffs amid Trump threats to cut jobs

Bill Ackman speaks about higher education and Harvard University at the twenty-eighth annual Milken Institute Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on May 6, 2025. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)
Politics

Bill Ackman donates $1 mln to anti-Mamdani PAC in NYC mayoral race

Members of the Pentagon press corp carry their belongings out of the Pentagon after turning in their press credentials, on October 15, 2025 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
US & Canada

Pentagon journalists vacate workspaces as new restrictions take effect

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS