Desperation in Afghanistan

Medica Mondiale, an NGO working in Afghanistan, says that there is a worrying increase in the number of women who are committing suicide in the country. In a press release issued last week, it was revealed that women are increasingly escaping forced marriages and abuse by lighting themselves on fire. Though exact figures are difficult ...

Medica Mondiale, an NGO working in Afghanistan, says that there is a worrying increase in the number of women who are committing suicide in the country. In a press release issued last week, it was revealed that women are increasingly escaping forced marriages and abuse by lighting themselves on fire. Though exact figures are difficult to identify, cases are reported daily in the city of Herat and thought to have doubled in Kabul, with 36 cases recorded this year. Women who reach the point of suicide tend to believe that, given their social standing in society, there is no judicial or cultural protection for them if they wish to escape - a feeling that is undoubtedly intensified by the condition of Afghanistan today.

Medica Mondiale, an NGO working in Afghanistan, says that there is a worrying increase in the number of women who are committing suicide in the country. In a press release issued last week, it was revealed that women are increasingly escaping forced marriages and abuse by lighting themselves on fire. Though exact figures are difficult to identify, cases are reported daily in the city of Herat and thought to have doubled in Kabul, with 36 cases recorded this year. Women who reach the point of suicide tend to believe that, given their social standing in society, there is no judicial or cultural protection for them if they wish to escape – a feeling that is undoubtedly intensified by the condition of Afghanistan today.

According to the BBC, delegates from countries with similar female suicide rates (including Bangladesh, Iran, India, and Sri Lanka) came together in Afghanistan to discuss the issue on Tuesday. We’ll keep you posted on their ongoing efforts.

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