The results of a Salam Watandar interview with 18 teachers who are also mothers, conducted across six provinces—Panjshir, Sar-e Pol, Daikundi, Baghlan, Kabul, and Samangan—show that 13 of them have been able to achieve a balance between teaching and motherhood through planning, division of responsibilities, and family support. However, the remaining five face serious challenges due to lack of family support and resources.
A number of obstetricians and gynecologists at Malalai Hospital say that premarital counseling is important for both girls and boys, and that examinations such as blood group and Rh factor, hormonal tests, spermograms, evaluations of male and female reproductive health, and uterine health checks are essential before marriage.
Although Islamic Sharia emphasizes consultation and mutual family understanding in decision-making — including marriage — in many families in Afghanistan the role of mothers in this process is overlooked, and they are excluded from decision-making.
With the arrival of spring, the flower and plant market has taken on a fresh look, and youth working in this sector report increased sales during this season. Many of them turned to this profession because of their personal interest and the lack of job opportunities. By cultivating different kinds of ornamental plants, they not only beautify the environment but also create a source of income for themselves.
Findings by Salam Watandar, based on data from Sheikh Zayed Hospital and interviews with neurology specialists, show a significant increase in stroke cases among young people under the age of 38 in Afghanistan, particularly among women.
Husna, a 25-year-old from Laghman, says she uses the internet mainly for work and teaching, “Most of my internet use is related to work and teaching. Since most of my tasks are done online, my internet consumption is high, and sometimes my family complains about my usage.”
While Islamic Sharia and international documents emphasize the right of widows and women without guardians to access emergency financial assistance, evidence from Kunduz shows that many of these women are, in practice, deprived of this right. In the Holy Quran (Surah At-Tawbah, verse 60), the poor and needy are identified as rightful recipients of zakat, and in the Hadiths, caring for widows is described as equivalent to performing major social deeds.
In recent years, Ghazni has increasingly been affected by climate change, with a rise in flooding causing significant damage to many families in the provincial center and its districts. Areas including Ghaib Qalandar, Hakim Sanayi Township, Khair Abad, Deh Khudaydad, Pirzada, Qala Amir Mohammad Khan, and Tawhid Abad in the provincial center, as well as parts of several districts, have repeatedly witnessed devastating floods.
The Afghanistan office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has announced that 610,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in the country have been treated.
This research was conducted to assess access to health services situation in urban and rural areas of Afghanistan. The results, based on a survey of 1,136 citizens across 32 provinces, indicate significant differences between urban and rural areas in terms of access, quality of services, and availability of medicines. Findings suggest that rural residents face greater challenges in obtaining quality health services.
Shayesta, a 38-year-old mother of four children, says she cannot afford online classes for her daughter who has been deprived of education, “As much as we could afford, we enrolled her in online courses—once in a home-based school and in a religious school —but now our economic situation is weak, and we can no longer afford even these online classes. For now, she reviews her lessons at home.”
Reza Jafari, a 35-year-old from Daikundi who has been working as a volunteer in greening activities for the past year, says, “The main reason we turned to volunteer work was that everywhere we look in our country, unfortunately, the hills have been stripped of forests, and plants have disappeared due to people’s excessive use and population growth. A lack of public awareness has led people to overexploit mountain forests.”
