
Years of war, conflict, social violence, gender-based violence, and displacement have taken a profound toll on the mental health and well-being of Afghan women. Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, these challenges have only intensified: women have now lost the right to study and work, and are being forced to comply with wide-ranging restrictions – including what they wear, where they go, and with whom they interact.
Recognising the significant need for mental health support among Afghan women, WILPF Afghanistan has launched a series of psychosocial training courses that strive to help women develop emotional, psychological, and social resilience and well-being.
Since the sessions launched, WILPF Afghanistan has received hundreds of applications each week from women and girls seeking mental health support; among them are school teachers, university students, housewives, and others whose formerly vibrant lives have been turned upside down by the Taliban. The project is funded by MADRE and Medica Mondiale and has reached 430 women to date.
In this video, the staff of WILPF Afghanistan speaks about the psychosocial well-being sessions, the way they work, and the impacts the sessions are having on the mental health and well-being of hundreds of Afghan women.