Azada, an Afghan woman who testified online during the “People’s Tribunal for Women in Afghanistan,” said she previously worked as a health professional and was once able—if accompanied by a mahram—to provide services in areas where health centers had shut down. She added that the Taliban now prohibit her from working even with a mahram.
Azada spoke about her firsthand experiences with Afghan women she encountered during her years of service. She said that widespread restrictions on education, employment, and movement have created deep emotional distress among Afghan women. In such conditions, she emphasized, access to mental-health services is a matter of life and death—and in many places, these services simply do not exist.
She recounted that while working at a health facility, a number of women who sought her help had survived suicide attempts. According to Azada, these women did not regret their actions, as life under such severe restrictions “held no meaning” for them.
Azada stressed that health is a human right and must never be treated as a privilege.
She described one young woman she knows in Balkh, who previously studied at a university while holding a job, but is now “confined” to her home in a remote village. Azada said the woman suffers from insomnia and anxiety, and due to the Taliban’s mahram requirement, she cannot visit psychological counseling centers. Social stigma also prevents her from seeking help—while in some cases, men refuse to accompany women as their mahram.
Speaking on the second day of the Tribunal’s session in Spain, Azada emphasized: “Mental health in Afghanistan is a silent crisis.”
She added: “Most women die from illnesses that could have been treated.” Azada warned that today’s girls, facing these overwhelming pressures, will grow into anxious, “dark-minded,” and depressed mothers.
She noted that her patients once dreamed of becoming doctors, engineers, teachers, and nurses.
