Shabana had everything to look forward to—a promising career in medicine and a life filled with dreams. She was studying to become a doctor and was preparing for her wedding. But when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, her life took a devastating turn.
Their harsh rule made women invisible in society. Shabana, like so many others, was forced to leave her education behind. Her hopes of becoming a doctor vanished. To make things worse, her fiancé, living abroad, broke off their engagement. Shabana, in her 20s, couldn’t bear the weight of this despair. Last month, she took her own life in her hometown of Charikar.
Shabana’s story is just one among so many others. Women and girls in Afghanistan are ending their lives at an alarming rate. It’s heartbreaking to hear experts say that Afghanistan is now one of the few places where more women commit suicide than men.
The link between this crisis and the Taliban’s cruel policies is undeniable. Their ban on women attending universities, working, and even moving freely has stripped us of any public or personal freedom. For many women, life now feels like a cage with no escape.
Mujeeb Khpalwak, a psychiatrist in Kabul, explains the grim reality: “Today, women and girls make up most of the patients suffering from mental conditions in Afghanistan.” He adds, “If we look at the women who were previously working or studying, 90 percent suffer from mental health issues now.”
When I look around, I see so many of us battling hopelessness. We are stuck at home, unable to work or study. Violence against women has only increased, and the systems meant to protect us have disappeared. Forced and early marriages are becoming the norm, with parents feeling they have no choice but to marry off their daughters. Some even do it to avoid the horror of their girls being forced to marry Taliban fighters.
I was moved by what Maryam Saeedi, a women’s rights activist, said: “They commit suicide to end their problems, which is dangerous.” She’s right. But it’s devastating to see how some women feel there’s no other way out. Maryam’s story about her younger sister hit me hard. Her 16-year-old sibling has been battling severe depression ever since the Taliban banned girls above the sixth grade from school. “It is tough for girls to cope after all their freedoms have been taken away,” Maryam shared.
The Taliban claimed that 360 people committed suicide last year, but they didn’t share the full picture. Unofficial figures paint a much darker reality. Organizations like Action Against Hunger say the mental health crisis in Afghanistan is worse than ever. They estimate that around 2 million Afghans faced mental distress back in 2018, but now those numbers must be far higher. “These numbers are likely much higher today,” the organization revealed.
It’s even harder for women to seek help now. As Khpalwak pointed out, “Women psychiatrists cannot work because of the restrictions on their work.” There’s an urgent need to address this mental-health epidemic, but the resources are just not there.
As a woman, it’s devastating to witness this. So many of us have been robbed of our dreams, our dignity, and our freedom. How much more can we endure before the world truly sees the pain we’re living in?
Featured Image Credits - Unsplash
Do they at least wear the traditional vest?