KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – A 29-year-old woman has died by suicide in Kandahar province, southern Afghanistan, marking yet another case in a troubling rise in suicides among women and girls under Taliban rule.
Local sources informed KabulNow that the woman hanged herself on Saturday, July 5, in District 3 of Kandahar city.
According to the sources, she was the second wife of her husband and had recently returned to her father’s home due to family disputes.
The Taliban authorities in Kandahar have not commented on the case.
Since the Taliban’s return to power, the rate of suicide among women and girls has surged, driven by factors such as forced and early marriages, mental health issues, and rising domestic violence.
In 2023, Etilaatroz documented at least 103 suicides of women across 28 provinces, most of whom were under the age of 20. The actual number is believed to be higher, as many cases remain unreported due to media restrictions and social stigma.
Between January 2022 and June 2024, Afghan Witness recorded at least 840 cases of violence against women and girls, 332 of which were fatal.
The Taliban has shut down all women’s shelters and dismantled legal protections that were previously available to survivors of abuse. Rights groups warn that women now face violence without safe avenues for support.
