Mental health practitioners to boost the wellbeing of young women in Afghanistan

Women across Afghanistan who have been emotionally and psychologically impacted by losing their right to a university education will be given expert support thanks to a project between Trauma Treatment International (TTI) and Afghans for Progressive Thinking (APT).

The Aramesh أرامش : Mental Health for Young Female University Students project was developed by APT after the Taliban stopped females attending university in 2022.

Project co-ordinator Rahman Jalil said: “This ban brought profound mental challenges to young women and girls who were either actively contributing to positive change in society, or poised to hold key positions in the government and private sector.

“Today, they grapple with trauma, anxiety, depression and even contemplate suicide, feeling confined, isolated and voiceless. Their wellbeing profoundly affects not only their personal daily lives but also extends to influence their families and communities, impacting their participation in decision-making processes.

“Many have expressed the need for tools to cope with these challenges and navigate the ongoing restrictions on their rights.”

In response to this psychological stress, APT called upon the expertise of Trauma Treatment International to coach a group of trainers and help the young women regain emotional equilibrium.

To this end, TTI counselling psychologist Dr Charlotte Flothmann led six online sessions with eight Afghan women, to help them to support those struggling with their mental health. The sessions included outlining coping mechanisms designed to address emotional and psychological needs, and topics such as stress management and building resilience.

Dr Flothmann said: “I led six three-hour sessions with an amazing interpreter who gave me a lot of contextual information about Afghanistan. As a group, we discussed what it’s like to facilitate sessions like these and talk about very sensitive issues. Some of the participants had been directly affected by the Taliban restrictions on university education, and there were a lot of anecdotes about people close to them.

“From their feedback, giving the women this connection and space to talk was very valuable for them.”

Two of the participants were Rezwana Rahimi, a psychosocial counsellor working for Women for Afghan Women in the Balkh province, and Fazila Ghaws from the Nangarhar province. She has four years’ experience working in the mental health field.

Rezwana explained that she finished her own university education just two weeks before the Taliban closed the door to higher education for women. “I was very lucky but I’ve seen how much others suffer from the education ban,” she said. “I see many girls dreaming of being educated and becoming lawyers or doctors. Instead, they have no choice but to get married to rich men. They’ve lost their motivation and their dreams.”

Fazila added: “I was in the second year of my master’s degree when the ban was called. I was able to finish my studies in Pakistan, but it really damaged my mental health and stopped me getting a good job.”

But, happily, Fazila says that the sessions with Dr Flothmann have given her the all-important boost she needs to move forward. “After the course, I applied for my PhD in environment and management which I’ll do in Turkey,” she explained. “The sessions gave me the confidence to do that.”

Rezwana also has high praise for the course. “The sessions were really great,” she said. “Charlotte was friendly, informative and had the answers we needed. I especially enjoyed the exercises like balloon breathing which relaxes your mind, and the body scan exercise which increases your concentration.

“At the start of the sessions Charlotte would ask how we were feeling; I might have been feeling hopeless. But, by the end, I’d lost my hopelessness. I was very sad when the sessions came to an end.”

Fazila and Rezwana, along with the other course participants, will now take their learning and pass it on to 40 women across four Afghan provinces.

Project co-ordinator Rahman said: “The sessions, which will be both face-to-face and online, will help young women understand their experiences, cope effectively, and prevent the ban's negative impacts. By practicing strategies, they can avoid resorting to violence, conflict or contemplating suicide.”