Despite countless hurdles, all-women teams of medical doctors are braving long distances and treacherous terrain to bring health care to the remotest villages in Afghanistan, reaching women who lack access to health services, some for up to 50 years.

Dr. Najia Tareq, a gynecologist with years of experience in public health, felt anxious the day the Taliban entered Kabul a year ago. “The political transition was very difficult for us,” she says. “We were concerned about our futures and thinking, what will happen to us?”

Dr. Najia’s family had encouraged her to become a doctor from a young age. When she began her studies, she soon discovered the dire need for female specialists in Afghanistan. 

She remembers better times for women in her country, recalling her student days at Kabul Medical University. “It was a good environment for women and girls back then,” she says. “Everyone could study in Afghanistan or abroad.”