Suicides Up Among Afghans Especially Women

Suicides Up Among Afghans

Some 65 percent of the 50,000 war widows living in Kabul see suicide as the only option to escape their misery and desolation.Decades of civil and social upheaval have intensified traditional social pressures on Afghan women who were already suffering at the hands of poverty and decadent social traditions. All this was coupled by the economic dislocation of a large section of Afghanistan society. In such a situation, Afghan women found an easy escape in suicides. The trend of suicide, which started in the early years of this decade, is now practiced by desperate Afghan women throughout most parts of Afghanistan, reported English.ohmynews.com.Apparently, the removal of the Taliban has brought about a positive change in Afghan society and the new government of President Hamid Karzai has enacted certain laws to improve the social condition of women in Afghanistan. However, this has only a marginal affect on the growing trend in Afghan society of women committing suicide.According to the latest survey conducted by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in Afghanistan, 65 percent of the 50,000 war widows living in Kabul see suicide as the only option to escape their misery and desolation.These widows were interviewed by UNIFEM in 2004. It took UNIFEM and associated nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) one year to complete the survey. More than half these war widows said that they were practically considering committing suicide to escape the miseries they find themselves in.The UNIFEM survey indicates that the majority of Afghan women are victims of mental and sexual violence, which compels them either towards committing suicide or drug addiction. UNIFEM prepared the reports based on this survey in cooperation with other Afghan nongovernmental organizations.A representative of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) described the conditions of war widows, especially those living in Kabul, as terrible. She said widows living in Kabul have to look after their families where there is little opportunity to earn a livelihood.She said 16 women had already ended their lives since the interviews were conducted. Highlighting the social structure, she said family and gender discrimination and violence against women were common in most parts of Afghanistan.However, women in other parts of Afghanistan are not far behind when it comes to committing suicide in the face of growing social problems.According to Kabul-based human rights organizations, some 100 women during the last eight months have attempted suicide in Kandahar by committing self-immolation or taking poison.In Helmand province, which is also known as the center of poppy cultivation, more than 100 women committed suicide, according to the figures provided by the Women’s Affairs department of the government of Afghanistan.In Herat province, where the practice has been most reported and publicized, there were 93 cases of attempted suicide last year and 54 so far this year. According to figures released by the department, more than 70 percent of these women die.According to the Women’s Affairs department, domestic disputes and economic problems are behind the increasing incidents of women committing suicide in Afghanistan. http://www.iran-daily.com/1386/2915/html/panorama.htm