For women in Afghanistan, accessing healthcare is extremely challenging. We are often required to be accompanied by a male chaperone to act as a mahram, or guardian when leaving our homes, and we are not permitted to receive care from male doctors, particularly when it comes to sexual and reproductive health.

In my community in Herat, in western Afghanistan, I have seen the consequences of these restrictions: women suffering needlessly, some even losing their lives, simply because they cannot access the most basic care.

Growing up, I always dreamed of becoming a midwife so I could support the women around me. But for a long time, that dream felt out of reach.

Restrictions on girls’ education have made it far more difficult to gain the qualifications we need and, although I studied midwifery at school, I lacked the clinical training to put my knowledge into practice. My future felt uncertain.

At home, life was already challenging. My father lives with a disability and cannot work, so the responsibility of supporting our family fell to me and my brother. We faced serious financial hardship. My brother was forced to leave school to earn money, while I continued volunteering in a hospital, hoping that somehow an opportunity would come.

That opportunity arrived in the form of a reproductive health training internship with MSI Afghanistan. When I saw the advert, I felt a sense of hope I had not felt in a long time.

Being accepted onto the programme changed everything. My brother was able to return to school, and for the first time I could see a clear path ahead. This was the beginning of a new life for me and my family.

During my training, I met other women whose stories echoed my own. Many had seen their ambitions disrupted yet refused to give up. What united us was a shared determination, not only to rebuild our own futures, but to support other women in doing the same.

Today, I work as a midwife in one of MSI Afghanistan’s mobile teams. My colleagues and I travel door-to-door, reaching women and girls in some of the most underserved and hard-to-reach communities with birth spacing options and other essential primary health services. We provide advice and care in the privacy of their homes, creating safe spaces where women can speak openly about their health, their choices and their futures.

These conversations are not always easy. Cultural expectations can make discussing contraception difficult. But every day, I wake up and I tell myself that ‘I can’, that through my work I can give women more choices and greater control over their lives.

Recently, I met a woman with six young children. Through her tears, she told me about her fears of not being able to give them the life they deserved. We talked through her options carefully, and she chose to have an IUD fitted. As I left, she told me how relieved she felt that this decision could change the course of her life and her children’s future.

Seeing so much hardship can take a toll, but moments like these remind me why our work matters.

The internship programme that trained me is proof that progress is still possible. By creating alternative pathways into healthcare, it is ensuring that women can continue to serve on the frontlines, even in the face of growing barriers. Each new midwife trained strengthens not only individual communities, but the healthcare system as a whole.

On International Day of the Midwife, I am proud to stand alongside the many Afghan women who continue to care for others in the most challenging circumstances. Our work often goes unseen, but for millions of women, it is a lifeline.

I am proud of the work we do. I am proud of my colleagues who travel long distances, who navigate difficult conversations, and who show unwavering dedication every day. And I am proud to be part of a generation of Afghan women who are finding ways to move forward.

We are still here. We are still working. And we are making a difference, one woman, one family, and one community at a time.

The author is a midwife working in an MSI Afghanistan mobile team

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security