Shafaqna English- Being a girl or a woman in war-scarred Afghanistan has been difficult for decades, and to hear many Afghan women and international observers tell it, things are only getting worse. UN data shows a direct link between a woman’s education level and her children’s health. The Taliban closed schools to girls beyond sixth grade, and they have also stopped medical courses for women, which in turn impacts women’s health. Experts warn of rising child marriages, higher maternal mortality, and an annual economic loss of $500 million from the secondary school ban alone. For families, though, the cost is personal.A doctor in southern Afghanistan says distressed girls regularly arrive at the hospital after trying to end their lives, some setting themselves alight.