rising suicide among afgan women

Rising Suicide Rates Among Afghan Women: A Silent Epidemic

BY Ximena Rodríguez-López

Afghanistan - Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the country has witnessed an alarming rise in suicide cases, particularly among women. Stripped of their basic rights and freedoms, many Afghan women are sinking into despair, with some seeing no alternative but to take their own lives. While suicide has long been a taboo subject in Afghan society, sources within the country suggest that the crisis is deepening, with more cases than ever before.

Afghan women, who once aspired to education and professional careers, now find themselves isolated and trapped. Under Taliban rule, women have been banned from attending universities, working in most professions, and even traveling without a male guardian. With their futures erased overnight, many young women have been left feeling hopeless. Mental health professionals report a sharp increase in cases of depression and suicidal ideation among women, but with few support systems in place, help is scarce.

Despite the severity of the crisis, many suicides go unreported due to cultural and religious stigmas. Afghan society has traditionally condemned suicide, viewing it as both a sin and a dishonor to one’s family. As a result, many families conceal such deaths or report them as accidents, making it difficult to determine the true scale of the crisis. However, reports from women’s rights activists and local sources indicate that self-immolation has become an increasingly common method of suicide, particularly in provinces such as Herat and Ghor. These harrowing acts of desperation reflect the unbearable suffering that many Afghan women endure daily.

The deteriorating economic situation has further exacerbated the problem. With Afghanistan’s economy in collapse, extreme poverty and hunger have driven many families to despair. Women, already among the most vulnerable, have been disproportionately affected, often left without any means of survival. Domestic violence and forced marriages have surged, with women having little to no legal recourse under Taliban rule. Many women who attempt to escape abusive situations find themselves with nowhere to turn. Shelters for abused women have been shut down, and those who flee often face imprisonment or even execution at the hands of the Taliban. Faced with such dire circumstances, many women see suicide as the only way out.

International human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the Taliban’s treatment of women, yet little has changed on the ground. Calls for intervention have largely gone unanswered, and the mental health crisis continues to spiral out of control. Afghanistan’s healthcare system is in shambles, and mental health services are virtually nonexistent, particularly for women who already face severe restrictions on accessing medical care. 

The rise in suicide among Afghan women is a devastating consequence of the Taliban’s oppressive rule.  Without intervention, Afghanistan’s women will continue to suffer in silence, with many choosing death over a life without freedom.