Diminished Quality of Life and Psychosocial Strain of Women Under the New Taliban Era: A Thematic Analysis

Background: Life for women drastically altered after the 2021 US-NATO military withdrawal from Afghanistan. Methods: Applying a gendered general strain theory (GGST) model, this paper presents mixed-method findings from a 2023 semi-structured digital survey of 29 Afghan women, identifying key shared hardships concerning the daily lives of Afghan women (ages 18–65) and psychosocial stress. Results: A thematic analysis of their responses indicates that support for the Taliban’s return to power ranges among women; however, respondents experience diminished quality-of-life (DQOL) factors like persistent food insecurity that affect their views of the current government and affect their psychosocial health. Furthermore, most struggle with financial insecurity and growing governmental restrictions, particularly gender discrimination policies (GDP), further increasing their stress as they try to acclimate to the new political environment. Additionally, we triangulate the key qualitative findings with a statistical analysis to help illustrate emerging patterns between DQOL factors, GDP experiences, and psychosocial stress (PSS). Conclusions: This study is one of the first known semi-structured surveys conducted within the country of Afghanistan after the Taliban reseized control, offering crucial insights into life of Afghan women through their own intimate experiences and perspectives.