Radio France International (RFI) has recently reported that women and girls in Afghanistan are facing severe restrictions, denial of education, and security threats. Many of them dream only of leaving the country and are struggling with a psychological crisis.
The radio reported day (Sunday, August 24) that Sheela Noori, founder of the Afghan Women’s Organization in France, has, for the first time since the caretaker government took power in 2021, managed to travel across Afghanistan. During this trip, she visited 15 provinces and spoke with women, girls, and men about their humanitarian and psychological situation.
In the report, Ms. Noori stated that girls have been deprived of education from the age of 13, and many women and girls are in a dire mental state.
She further emphasized that women’s access to jobs, recreational facilities, and healthcare services has become extremely limited.
The founder of the Afghan Women’s Organization in France added that children are also under pressure, with many forced to work on the streets to support their families.
Ms. Noori said: “Women and girls who used to study or work are now very depressed. They spend the whole day at home — waking up, cooking, cleaning the house — and the only thing they can do is go out for shopping or to visit each other.”
In mid-October last year, the UN Refugee Agency reported that mental health issues among Afghan women had risen by 40 to 50 percent over the previous year.
Additionally, in early June this year, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated in a report that 48 percent of Afghans live below the poverty line and more than 22 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.
