KABUL, Jun 13 2025 (IPS) - Mehrangiz is a sixteen-year-old girl from Badakhshan, a province in the northeastern Afghanistan famed for its rubies, jewels, and a land of love and beauty.

Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, strict restrictions have been imposed on women’s freedoms, driving women into a dead-end life of no prospects, resulting in a rise in mental health crisis and suicides amongst them.

Mehrangiz credits her recovery to Women’s Voice Radio. She narrates her life story as follows:

When I was in the 10th grade, I had dreams and aspirations. Every day, I worked harder than the day before to reach goals that I wished to achieve in the future. There was no electricity in my village, so I would study at night next to a kerosene lamp, clinging to the hope that one day my dreams would be fulfilled.

One day, as I sat in the garden writing, I heard the cries of one of my classmates that we could no longer go to school or study. It stunned me into silence.

Days passed. I thought the situation would be temporary, and I continued to study, hoping not to fall behind and achieve success in life like girls in other parts of the world.

But eventually I could no longer endure the suffocating silence. When would girls be allowed to go back to school? That question appeared to have no answer – indefinitely. I began to lose the fighting spirit to continue. Sleeplessness and loss of appetite overwhelmed me, and the world of my dreams had turned to only one color—black!

Life became increasingly difficult with each passing day, and I felt I could not stand it any longer. The despair was so overwhelming that one day, at the height of my anger and frustration, I burnt all my textbooks.

The darkness of life numbed me and I decided never to try to study any more. I kept myself busy with household chores and physical activities at home, trying to avoid thinking about the future.

However, a ray of light illuminated my path one day when I went out shopping with my mother. The change began as a small event but carried a very big outcome.

When we became tired after shopping around, we decided to take a rest at Kedbanu – a women’s-only restaurant – for lunch. A doctor was on air at Sadee Banowan radio, one of the most popular radio stations in Badakhshan. She was talking about depression.

I became captivated by the doctor’s inspiring and soothing words, I even had to slow down my eating to listen properly.

When my mother glanced at me, I gestured to her about what was coming over the radio and she, too, began to listen. Our ears remained pricked up to the radio to the very end.

The doctor’s words were captivating, equally so was the talent of the radio host, who asked questions as if he was deeply familiar with the deep problems facing countless Afghan girls.

The situation of women and girls in Afghanistan went into rapid decline after the Taliban regained power four years ago. Under strict Islamist laws, they were barred from further education, forced out of paid unemployment and largely confined to the home. They were not allowed to sit in parks or even raise their voices when talking. Forced marriages became their lot.

The severe restrictions took a heavy mental toll on women, many of who committed suicide because of depression and other mental illnesses.

At the end of the doctor’s broadcast, I made a telephone call to the radio for further information and to my delight, was informed that I could also discuss my personal problems with the doctor.

Counseling and a New Outlook on Life

The following day I was at the gates of the radio station with a mix feeling of enthusiasm and trepidation.

I was not certain I would actually be able to share my problems with them, since in light of the situation of Afghanistan in the past four years, everyone appeared focused on finding solutions to their individual problems with no time for others.

But eventually, when I sat before the very same doctor whose words had held me captive on the radio the previous day, I could not even describe anything comparably more uplifting.

The doctor provided me with useful guidelines about how to cope in life. “Let us try to find an alternative way to life rather than ruining our souls and tormenting our families. Let us trust in God”, she advised.

It motivated me to live better and fight against difficulties that pressed me, giving me the strength to grow and become stronger.

She advised me to go out occasionally and enjoy myself, meet friends, wear bright colors such as orange, red, and yellow, and focus on being happy.

I have had four free psychotherapy sessions and about 30 percent of my problems have been resolved. My mental state has improved. Life is smiling upon me once again. I now see life as beautiful, full of only vibrant colors without any hint of black, unlike previously.

Women’s Voice Radio: A Beacon Amidst Restriction

Women’s Voice Radio has been on air since 2010. It is one of the most popular and cherished radio stations among women in Badakhshan. In the course of its existence, its popularity has soared so much that it broadcasts 24 hours a day, attracting both men and women to its informative programs.

However, Women’s Voice Radio station, which is dedicated specifically to women, has faced increasing restrictions following the rise of the new regime in Afghanistan in 2021. In the early days of the Taliban regime, the radio station was shut down for 23 days for merely broadcasting a few seconds of music included in a commercial advertisement. It has since resumed broadcasting.

Since then, Women’s Voice Radio has developed several new programs, such as the “Maktab” (School) program, dedicated to girls in grades seven to twelve. The programme provides curriculum materials by teachers and other professionals via radio to girls who are not allowed to go to school.

“Psychotherapy” is another program that supports women confined to their homes, a high percentage of whom experience depression and stress. The program is hosted by a psychotherapist who provides effective advice and guidance to women and girls, introducing them to various healthy activities and ways to cope with life’s challenges. Indeed, officials of the radio plan to establish a large psychotherapy center in Badakhshan to meet the increasing demand for psychotherapy by vulnerable women and girls.

“Art in the Embrace of Women” is another inspirational program for women that highlights innovative and creative women who have demonstrated initiatives across various fields, particularly in business, entrepreneurship, and investment, serving as models to other women to look up to.

A New Chapter

To cap it all, I have had good luck and have been offered a job at the radio station, where I have been working for the past three months. I have had the pleasure of working alongside wonderful and friendly women, those who greeted me with smiles and warm hugs on my first visit to the radio station.

I am learning valuable life lessons—the lessons of overcoming challenges and helping others to the same. To everyone else, Women’s Voice Radio may be a broadcasting station but to me, I consider it a university of life where I learn lessons in how to lead a good life.

I am now a member of a small but powerful family.

Excerpt:

The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasons