High on a hill in Kabul, a mental health centre run by the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) serves as a refuge for women afflicted by psychological trauma, yet it also highlights the bleak realities faced by many. Dubbed Qala, or the fortress, this facility is one of the few available to women seeking help, but it is overwhelmed, currently housing 104 patients in dire need of support. Despite their suffering, many women like Mariam*, who has been confined for nine years due to a history of domestic abuse, find it hard to break free from their entrapments.
Mariam, thought to be in her mid-20s, speaks of escaping an abusive household where she endured violence at the hands of her brothers and ultimately became homeless. Now, she expresses her longing for freedom but realizes that leaving is futile without a safe place to go. Instead of returning to a toxic environment, she hopes to build her life anew in Kabul. Yet, under Taliban rule, restrictive laws restrict women's autonomy, making it difficult for them to live independently or seek employment, perpetuating an endless cycle of dependency on men.
Another patient, Habiba, a 28-year-old woman, shares a similar plight. After being abandoned by her husband, who remarried, she found herself placed in the centre where her family support is non-existent. While she dreams of reuniting with her three children who live far away with relatives, she too is locked in a place of uncertainty due to societal pressures.
The stark reality for many of these women is overlooked by the government, which claims to uphold women's rights. Nevertheless, new data reveals a troubling mental health crisis: 68% of women report experiencing "bad" or "very bad" mental health, further exacerbated by the Taliban's renewed restrictions on their freedoms.
Dr. Abdul Wali Utmanzai, a senior psychiatrist working with ARCS, reports an alarming rise in mental health issues among women, often stemming from economic hardship and familial challenges. In Kabul, mental health services are saturated, with facilities experiencing an influx of patients and extensive waiting lists. Regulations necessitating male guardianship for women seeking aid severely inhibit their ability to access necessary treatments—a reality faced by countless others like Mariam and Habiba.
This systemic struggle results in tragic cycles of abandonment. Some women have spent decades institutionalized, with no visitors or hope of reuniting with their families. The plight of Zainab, a 16-year-old patient, epitomizes this crisis. Following traumatic experiences, including witnessing the aftermath of school bombings, her mental state deteriorated, leading her family to confine her in a mental health facility—a choice fueled by deep-rooted cultural norms that stigmatize mental illness while prioritizing family honor.
As long as women like Mariam and Habiba are trapped within Qala, new patients will continue to arrive, intensifying an already critical need for mental health services in Afghanistan. The stories of these women underline a grim truth: societal change is essential, but until then, they remain voiceless and vulnerable in a system that often neglects their existence.
