On 6 June 2026, a woman Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff member was stopped by representatives of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice on her way to Herat Regional hospital, in Afghanistan, where she works in the MSF-supported paediatric department. Her husband was accompanying her. She was accused of not complying with the dress code imposed on women in the country.

She was detained for two days and finally released on 8 June after having to sign – along with her husband and other family members – a written commitment to wear a specific type of Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice imposed outfit in the future.

MSF is outraged by the arrest and detention of one of our employees as part of the enforcement of dress code requirements in Herat.

This incident is not isolated. Women in Afghanistan already face severe restrictions on movement and access to public life, which have direct consequences on people’s access to care and the delivery of healthcare services across the country.

MSF is aware about reports that over the past week a large number of women have been arrested by the representatives of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat. On 9 June, a demonstration against the restrictions imposed on women was violently dispersed by the police using firearms, sticks, and whips, causing several injuries and new arrests.

Since 2021, women in Afghanistan have been increasingly erased from public life. Women are barred from accessing secondary and higher education and from working in many public and humanitarian roles. They also have limited access to healthcare and are excluded from public spaces.

Additional measures targeting women, such as mandatory burqas and the obligations to be accompanied by a mahram (male guardian) when outside of their home, further undermine access to essential medical services and hinder the ability of women healthcare workers to provide care. These restrictions disproportionately affect women and children, who often rely on women medical staff to receive care in a way that is safe and respectful of the local culture. 

Women staff remain central to our work in Afghanistan. MSF currently runs seven projects across seven provinces, delivering maternity, paediatric, trauma and tuberculosis care. Women make up 45 per cent of the nurses working for us in the country; in maternity-focused projects they represent more than half of the workforce and are essential to providing care in women-only clinical spaces.