A troubling report unveils the dire circumstances of women confined in Afghanistan's mental health facilities, where strict cultural norms and governmental restrictions prevent them from escaping abuse and seeking help.
"Trapped in Silence: Women's Struggles Within Afghanistan's Mental Health System"
"Trapped in Silence: Women's Struggles Within Afghanistan's Mental Health System"
The plight of women in Afghanistan's limited mental health facilities highlights a growing crisis exacerbated by strict Taliban regulations and years of societal neglect.
High on a hill in Kabul, amidst bare walls and barbed wire, lies the women’s wing of the Afghan Red Crescent Society’s mental health facility, known locally as Qala. This confined space, home to 104 women, serves as one of the very few institutions where females can receive mental health care in a society largely unresponsive to their needs.
Many of the women, like Mariam*, are victims of domestic violence and face harsh realities that keep them from integrating back into society. Mariam’s story is one of neglect and mistreatment, having spent nine years in the facility after being discarded by her abusive family. “I don’t expect to return to my father and mother,” she shares. “I want to marry someone here in Kabul.” However, her aspirations remain trapped within Qala’s confines due to her lack of options upon release.
Similarly, Habiba, 28, is stranded within the facility walls after her husband abandoned her upon marrying another woman. “I want to be reunited with my children,” she cries, yearning for family ties that seem increasingly distant. Both women symbolize a harsh truth in Afghanistan: the intertwining of mental illness and dependence on male relatives leaves women helpless without guardians to advocate for them.
Long-standing societal stigmas have compounded difficult circumstances, as women grapple with the systemic repercussions of a mental health crisis worsened under Taliban rule. Many patients, some in the facility for decades, share stories of complete abandonment and chronic neglect by their families. Psychotherapist Saleema Halib notes a sense of hopelessness among women, as overcrowding leads to longer waiting lists for others in dire need of help.
With the Taliban claiming to uphold women's rights publicly, a stark contrast appears in practice, where official policies hinder women’s movement and access to medical services. Even as demand outpaces supply, many like Zainab—a 16-year-old recently admitted after a year-long wait—remain confined by societal expectations that restrict their movement and right to autonomy.
As the Taliban's grip on power tightens, the scope of mental health struggles continues to spiral, affecting countless women who seek independence. In a society where silence reigns over suffering, the stories of Mariam, Habiba, and many others cast a spotlight on the pressing need for reform, highlighting the tragic consequences of neglect within Afghanistan's health system and the silent abandonment that defines their existence in Qala.
