In Kabul, a hidden mental health facility struggles to provide care to women facing severe societal challenges. Tucked away behind barbed wire, the women's wing of the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) is one of the few sanctuaries for women grappling with mental health issues. Known locally as Qala, this center currently houses 104 women, including Mariam*, a young domestic violence survivor who has spent nearly a decade within its walls due to her family's abuse and subsequent homelessness.
Mariam, who is hopeful for her future despite being trapped, dreams of marrying someone in Kabul rather than returning to her family, acknowledging that they would likely abandon her again. The systemic inequalities entrenched in Afghan society complicate her situation: women are often denied independence and must rely on male guardians for almost all aspects of life, a fact that restricts their ability to leave the center.
Another patient, Habiba, mirrors Mariam’s plight. Forced into the facility by her husband who remarried, she too yearns for her children's company. She has not seen her sons in months, underscoring the personal toll of life in a society where women’s rights are severely limited under Taliban rule. The ongoing stigma surrounding mental health exacerbates their already grim circumstances, necessitating assistance that remains desperately out of reach.
Psychotherapist Saleema Halib reports that many patients at Qala have been forsaken by their families and find themselves effectively lifeless, with some residents enduring their fate for decades. Recent UN data suggests a dire mental health crisis for women in Afghanistan, with a staggering 68% reporting poor mental health. Despite Taliban assurances of protecting women’s rights, the reality on the ground tells a different story, as many women find their access to necessary healthcare heavily restricted.
In the community, services struggle to manage increasing demand, especially as conditions worsen under Taliban policies. Young Zainab represents another desperate case; after her family fought for a year to secure her placement at the center, she was finally admitted after a harrowing past of confinement and trauma from violence in her school. Her family remains divided, with some believing it is better to restrain her rather than allowing her the freedom she desperately needs.
As these women's haunting stories unfold, the challenges of the Afghan mental health landscape become starkly clear. With each day spent confined within Qala's walls, the hope of reuniting with loved ones dims, revealing a deep-seated issue where many women may remain abandoned and unheard. As a nation fights for recovery, the cries of its women echo in the silence of systemic neglect.
