Suspicious deaths of women in Afghanistan rise; at least 231 recorded since Taliban return

A new study shows that at least 231 women and girls have lost their lives in 10 Afghan provinces since the Taliban returned to power.

The Guardian reported that the study was conducted by Afghan journalists and analyzed 231 cases of female deaths since August 2021. According to the report, 174 cases were recorded by local media and 57 others were independently documented by researchers.

The study’s findings show that 53 of these deaths were officially recorded as “suicides”; but in some cases, families and witnesses reported signs of violence and the possibility of murder.

The report also adds that only about a quarter of these incidents resulted in arrests, raising concerns about the lack of effective and transparent handling of violence against women.