Nilab Azizi , a mother of three who used to work for an international aid project, is desperate to reconnect to her former professional life and looking forward to starting a three-year nursing course in September.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation spoke to 10 nurses and trainees across the country who said they had either switched careers or had friends and colleagues who had done so. The following day her photograph on the staff board was whited out. A few weeks later her post was filled by a man. Since then, she has been a housewife.
Afghanistan has one of world's highest maternal and infant mortality rates, with one woman dying every two hours during pregnancy or childbirth. Afghanistan has about 4,400 health facilities, according to official data, mostly run by national or international NGOs.