U.S. Representative: Taliban Policies Have Pushed the Mental Health of Women and Girls into a Devastating Crisis
Bayan News – Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Envoy for Women and Human Rights in Afghanistan, has said that the mental health of Afghan women and girls is facing a devastating crisis due to the Taliban’s policies.
On Friday morning, October 11, Amiri wrote on the platform X: “As we commemorate World Mental Health Day, I want to draw attention to the devastating mental health crisis that Afghans, especially women and girls, are facing as a result of the alarming and extremist policies of the Taliban. We must all remain determined in supporting them in their fight for their rights.”
October 10 is observed as World Mental Health Day.
Additionally, yesterday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Afghanistan released a report stating that the Taliban’s “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” law has increased psychological pressure on women in the country.
According to the report, following the implementation of this law, many women feel “hopeless, depressed, and angry.”
The report further noted that the number of mental health patients has risen by 40 to 50 percent since the beginning of this year.