Surge In Afghan Female Suicides Reflects Growing Despair Amid Taliban Regime: 'No Choice But To Bear The Violence Or...'

The Taliban’s severe restrictions have triggered a significant rise in female suicides in Afghanistan, indicating a brewing mental health crisis.

The Guardian reported on Sunday, that since the Taliban seized control in 2021, there has been a concerning increase in the number of women ending their own lives or attempting to do so.

Health workers in Afghanistan have shared figures, collected over a year up to August 2022, which suggest that the country has become one of the few worldwide where suicide rates among women exceed those among men.

The United Nations and human rights activists have linked this alarming trend directly to the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s rights, including a ban on education above the elementary level, most work, and access to public spaces.

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“Afghanistan is in the midst of a mental health crisis precipitated by a women's rights crisis,” said Alison Davidian, the country representative for UN Women.

Healthcare data from 11 provinces shows that women and girls make up the majority of suicide cases, with the youngest victims in their early teens. However, the actual figures may be higher as suicide is considered shameful and often concealed in Afghanistan.

“The mechanism to respond to domestic violence is totally eradicated; women have no choice but to bear the violence or kill themselves,” said Shaharzad Akbar, former chair of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.

Only time will tell if international pressure and global outrage can effect change in this dire situation.

Photo by ResoluteSupportMedia on Flickr

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