Female drug addiction in Afghanistan

Abstract

In recent decades, the problem of drug addiction to its population has become increasingly acute for Afghanistan. The growth of drug addiction here occurred during the period of a rapid increase in the volume of drug production within the country in the early 2000s. During this period, Afghanistan ceased to be not only a producer and exporter of drugs, but also became an active consumer of it. In this turn it led to the quick spread of drug addiction throughout its territory. This social problem is closely connected with the set of internal problems that already existed here. The growth of drug addiction has become a threat to the country’s national security. In this situation, a special place is occupied by the drug addiction of Afghan women, which has a destructive effect on some of the foundations and norms that underline the «daily» life of Afghans. The situation with drug addiction among women reveals the peculiarities of Afghan society and the difference in the position between men and women. The uniqueness of the Afghan society and its adherence to Islam are some of the factors that force researchers to consider the problem of female drug addiction in Afghanistan separately from males ones. A certain imprint on the perception of the current situation by the Afghans themselves is made by the position of women in society, which is fixed to her by age-old customs and traditions that are common among the majority of the Afghans’ population. In addition, the social role of woman and her place in society also have an impact on the formation of drug addiction, which has a significant difference from a similar phenomenon in other regions of the world. After Taliban came back to power in Afghanistan, the situation related to women’s rights remained uncertain for several months. In December 2021, an index was published that significantly expanded the rights of women.