Witness 8 Audio Testimony

Today, I want to talk under the pseudonym Azada about a crucial issue: the deprivation of Afghan women’s access to health services, particularly mental health. Although many reports have been published on this topic, as someone who has worked in the health sector and witnessed this situation firsthand, I felt it was necessary to share the realities in my own voice.

We, as women in Afghanistan, have lost our fundamental human rights. Health is a right, not a privilege. But access to this right has been severely restricted for women, especially since the Taliban took power. This is not only about physical health; a deep psychological crisis is also underway.

In the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, I know a woman who used to study and work. Now she lives in a remote area far from the city center and struggles with severe stress, depression, and insomnia. In her area, seeking psychotherapy is considered a disgrace. As a result, she neither goes to counseling centers nor has the ability to travel to the city. War and social pressures have caused psychological problems for millions of people, yet talking about mental health is still a taboo in our society. Women are told to be patient or submit to their fate, even though mental illness is a real health problem, not a sign of weakness.

These services have become very limited, and in remote areas, they don’t exist at all. Even in the cities, working conditions have become increasingly difficult for women who specialize in this field. I specialize in psychotherapy and used to help women. However, first they stipulated that we could only work with a male guardian (mahram), and now we are not even allowed to work with a mahram. Previously, we offered mental health services in public settings, but now we are only allowed to work in clinics, and even then, it is restricted. Unfortunately, many of these clinics do not even have female psychotherapy specialists present.

I know another woman who lives in a small Afghan city. She used to be employed but is now jobless and confined to her home. She suffers from severe psychological problems, but because providing mental health services is considered to be against Sharia in her area, she cannot use the services, nor is she allowed to even talk about it. Even in larger cities, a woman must be accompanied by a male mahram to visit a psychotherapy center. This is despite the fact that many men are unwilling to accompany women to such centers.

The result is that women suffer in silence or even lose their lives from treatable illnesses. Self-harm and suicide among women have increased alarmingly, especially since the Taliban’s return to power. Girls who once had dreams for their future—who wanted to be teachers, doctors, or nurses—are now sitting at home, disillusioned and silent, with no access to psychological support. We have directly seen cases of women who committed suicide or made unsuccessful attempts but are still living with those same thoughts.

Afghan women have an urgent and vital need for mental health services, but they lack access. Clinics have been restricted, and psychological counselors have been prevented from working. If this situation continues, the consequences will be catastrophic for the next generation of women and for the entire society.