Consecutive droughts, declining rainfall, and drying water sources in Jawzjan have changed farming methods and the lives of farmers in the province. A number of women farmers in Jawzjan say they are striving to maintain their families’ food security and income by using drip irrigation, improving water management, establishing home gardens, and diversifying their agricultural production.
A number of women interviewed by Salam Watandar complain about the challenges they face when giving birth at home and in health centers. For this report, 10 women aged 20 to 48 from eight provinces, all of whom had given birth at home or in a hospital during the past year, were interviewed. The findings show that these women faced challenges such as the cost of childbirth and medicines, long distances and a lack of transportation, shortages of health workers and facilities, bleeding and severe pain during home births, as well as inappropriate treatment and inadequate facilities in hospitals.
Obstetricians and gynecologists say endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. According to them, the disease can affect the ovaries and fallopian tubes, causing severe pain during periods, pelvic pain and, in some cases, infertility.
Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Islamic Emirate, said in Article Five of a decree on women’s rights issued in 2021 that a woman has the right to a fixed share (Ashab-ul-Furud) and a residual share (Al-Asabat) of the inheritance of her deceased husband, children, father and other relatives. No one can deprive her of this right.
In a corner of her small, simple workshop, Farida carefully works on a new piece. The silence is broken only by the sounds of the tools she works with. The atmosphere reflects hard work, creativity and hope.
Long distances to health centers, economic problems, and shortages of female doctors, medicines, and medical equipment have created serious difficulties for women in rural areas in accessing healthcare services. According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Health, more than 4,000 health centers are operating and more than 35,000 health workers are currently working across Afghanistan.
Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Islamic Emirate, has emphasized the importance of an adult girl’s consent in matters of engagement and marriage in a decree issued on March 19, 2025. The decree states that a girl’s guardian must consult her and consider her consent when arranging her engagement, and that he cannot force her to marry without her consent.
A warm evening wind blows across the dry plains of Ab Kamari district in Badghis. The strong summer sun shines on land that was once covered with golden wheat fields. But now, many of those green fields have turned dry and cracked. In one corner of the plain, 29-year-old Parwana, a farmer, stands wearing a black headscarf and looks at the land that has been part of her life and memories for years.
A number of women say their businesses started with a desire to earn an independent income and gradually became a way to support their families, grow personally and create job opportunities for other women.
A number of pregnant women in Ghor say they have contracted malaria, which has raised their concerns about the possible risks the disease may pose to the health of their fetuses.
A number of girls in Afghanistan, despite restrictions on continuing their education, share what they have learned with their siblings at home. Salam Watandar’s findings from interviews with 21 girls in eight provinces show that preserving their knowledge, continuing their learning, and helping family members are among their main reasons for teaching at home.
Chronic sleep deprivation is a common sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep more than three nights a week for several months. It can cause chronic fatigue, reduced concentration and cognitive performance, a weakened immune system, and an increased risk of some mental health problems. Common causes include stress, disruptions to the sleep cycle, and poor sleep hygiene.
