IntelBrief: Two Years After the Taliban Takeover, a Surge of Suicides Among Afghan Women

Bottom Line Up Front

• Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan over two years ago, a mental health crisis among Afghan women has been exacerbated, including a sharp rise in suicides, according to recent statistics.
• Edicts issued by Taliban authorities severely curtailing women’s rights and their participation in public life, as well as the harsh enforcement of those laws, have contributed to the despair felt by many Afghan women.
• Peaceful public demonstrations by Afghan women demanding their rights have been met with excessive use of force, intimidation, sexual and gender-based violence, arbitrary arrest, torture, and even death.
• The plight of Afghan women and girls has become a fixture of the international debate around normalizing relations with the Taliban.