Following the July 2023 report by The Washington Post titled “As Afghan Schools Remain Closed for Girls, Mental Health Crisis Builds,” highlighting the escalation of the mental health crisis among Afghan girls and women due to the Taliban’s stringent restrictions on education and work, Mosawer Begana women’s rights activist, has made efforts to gather valuable suggestions from experts and prominent figures. He firmly believes that fundamental rights such as entertainment, education, and work are indispensable components of a woman’s life, and the primary cause of anxiety affecting the mental health of women and girls stems from the absence of these basic components and freedom in their fundamental rights.
In the current circumstances, with the existing limitations, traditional health advice might not be significantly helpful. Mosawer Begana underscores that merely advising stress management techniques is insufficient to solve this crisis. However, it may delay and mitigate the process of entering the cycle of stress and anxiety. Therefore, in collaboration with some doctors and therapists, various recommendations have been compiled to aid women and girls in Afghanistan concerning mental health in the current situation. The collected recommendations encompass a range of general approaches proven to reduce stress and have been effective in various situations without restrictions. These include establishing spiritual communication with God, maintaining a connection with nature through physical activity and exercise, cultivating long-term perspectives, setting achievable goals, enhancing capacities and skills by leveraging online educational opportunities, reading educational and inspiring books, and maintaining high morale and motivation to combat current limitations.
First series of Recommendations Gathered By Mosawer Begana:
- Dr. Julie Smith (London): Dr. Smith emphasizes the significance of spiritual peace and social relationships during distressing times. She highlights the innate human need for a sense of safety and belonging within a social group. When feeling weak or depressed, individuals tend to isolate themselves, exacerbating their depression. Hence, finding a means to communicate with someone, whether through a phone call or a face-to-face meeting with a friend or family member, is crucial to improving one’s mood.
- Dr. Jamshid Rasa: Dr. Rasa believes that worship, exercise, and physical activity, by emphasizing the role of nature and exercise as natural tools for promoting mental health, are effective.
- Dr. Shamloo (Iran): Dr. Shamlou underscores the dual importance of exercise and effective communication in maintaining mental health. Engaging in regular physical activities such as running, yoga, or other forms of exercise can significantly reduce stress and contribute to a positive state of mind.
- Parwana Ebrahimkhail: She emphasizes the significance of cultivating a vision and setting long-term goals. She urges girls to maintain their spirit in different situations, fostering hope and setting achievable educational goals for better conditions.
- Tahmina Usmani (Correspondent): Tahmina stresses the importance of creating healthy engagement to empower women in overcoming challenges and stress. She proposes engaging in study and training through accessible platforms like YouTube videos.
- Hadis Noori (Clothing Model): Hadis noori underlines the importance of maintaining a positive outlook and gaining inspiration from educational and motivational books. She encourages women to find motivation to combat existing limitations through educational reading.
- Zuhal Nazari and Uranus Hashemi (Social Media Influencers): These vloggers and video content producers emphasize maintaining morale and motivation with social media. They believe in using the positive aspects of social media as a means to acquire knowledge, financial resources, and peace of mind. By reaching more audiences and progressing their social pages, they find motivation to combat challenges.
By consolidating these recommendations, Mosawer Begana aims to discover effective strategies for overcoming the challenging mental health conditions faced by women and girls.
Audio file is posted in his Instagram:
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Nancy Cole has over 15 years experience as a educator and health practitioner. She has a B.S. from Brock, and a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Guelph . Nancy has worked as a special medical consultant for a major insurance provider before becoming a freelance health author and public speaker.
