Herat girls call for lifting restrictions on women education, work

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Some girls in western Herat province have said that continued closure of schools and universities caused psychological problems for them.

Nargis, the student of Herat University’s literature faculty, said she took pills to be comfortable and feel good mentally.

She said that she loved the serve the country after completing her education but after the closure of schools and universities she suffered psychologically.

“I am 20 and the student of literature faculty, from the day schools and universities had been closed I feel unwell and suffer from depression.”

Samiah, the student of class 10^th, said Afghan women had the right of begging but they did not have the right of education.

She said if government officials ignored women who are half of the society then the country could not progress and would remain backward.

Zahra, is another student hospitalized in the Zonal Hospital, she was a government employee and had to stay home after regime change in the country.

She is receiving treatment in the hospital but the sign of rope from which she hanged herself was still visible around her neck.

“More than 20 times, I tried to commit suicide by drinking illicit liquid, taking poisoning substance and even falling from a building.”

She said she has four kids and the only bread earner of her family. Her husband is disabled and after deteriorated economic situation she decided to commit suicide.

She asked the government to consider Afghan women and mothers as part of society and remove existing curbs and allow women and girls to work and get education under the framework of Sharia and Law.

A health official wishing not to be named told Pajhwok Afghan News: “The number of patients — mostly women and girls — suffering from depression had surged after the imposition of restrictions and curbs on women education and work.”

The source said 564 persons have suffered from depression and psychological illnesses after ban on women education and work since. This number also included the number of ill persons since regime change.

Last year 277 persons suffered from depression and psychological illness during the same period, he added.

Sharifa Habibi, a psychologist in Herat province, said there was 50 percent surge in the number of psychological patients in the past one year. Most of these patients are women, she added.

Information and Cultural Affairs Director Mawlana Naeemul Haq Haqqani said the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) working on strategy according to which existing problems would be resolved in line with Sharia Law.

He said that IEA was committed to defend the supreme national interest of the country and its people, adding that efforts would be made in this regard.

This comes that a number of national and international organization and common people often asked acting government to allow women to work and get education.

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