Afghan women are facing a very dark and dangerous future under Taliban rule. Because of extreme poverty, many families marry off girls as young as twelve, or even younger, in exchange for dowries. These marriages are often financial deals, not choices, and they force young girls into early and risky pregnancies. The situation is made worse by the Taliban’s ban on birth control, which leaves women unable to prevent pregnancy or space births safely. Many women suffer repeated pregnancies, miscarriages, and life-threatening complications without medical help. At the same time, girls and women are banned from higher education and most work. Medical schools now train only men. Women are not allowed to see male doctors, yet female doctors and midwives are slowly disappearing. When the current generation stops working, women may have no healthcare at all. This means illness, childbirth, and pregnancy could become deadly. This is not just discrimination but a systematic attack on women’s lives.

Almighty GOD, You are the Great Help, the Deliverer, and the One who thinks upon the poor, vulnerable, and needy. Intervene in Afghanistan without delay for the women and girls who have been mistreated. Deliver them from all who mistreat them (The Holy Bible, Psalm 40:17).

Pray against the gender-based discrimination in Afghanistan. Pray for the Taliban authorities to respect and uphold the rights and freedoms of the women and girls in the nation. Pray for equal and uninterrupted access to all basic needs and rights for all Afghan women and girls. (The Holy Bible, Psalm 64:1).

News Source: The Guardian

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