An Afghan mother has reportedly taken her own life after a member of the Taliban forced her daughter into marriage in the northeastern Badakhshan province, local sources said.
Sources reported that a few months ago, a Taliban member coerced the 19-year-old girl into an engagement against her will and despite strong opposition from the girl’s family in the Khash district.
The Talib was preparing for a wedding party anytime soon, sources indicated.
The girl’s mother consumed poison, putting an end to her life while protesting in front of the Talib in her home village of Shahran on Friday, August 2.
The desperate girl has also attempted to take her life several times, sources said.
Sources say that the Talib has threatened to punish the girl and members of her family if they filed a complaint against him.
Taliban provincial authorities have not yet commented on this matter.
Since the Taliban stormed to power in August 2021, the suicide rate has been on the rise across Afghanistan amid a worsening humanitarian crisis, acute hunger, and a high rate of unemployment. Life has become extremely difficult for many vulnerable people, particularly women, and girls who have been deprived of basic human rights.
The regime has since imposed severe restrictions on human rights and freedoms, especially for women and girls—banning them from working, studying, and participating in public life.
These draconian rules have increased the risk of psychological distress, and suicidal thoughts among women and girls. Investigative data compiled by Etilaatroz and KabulNow shows that over the past year alone, at least 110 men and 103 women committed suicides across 28 provinces.
