Suicide tendencies rising among Chitrali women

In report compiled by Human Rights Program Chitral (HRPC), it has been said that during the period, the number of attempted suicide of women stood at five while three women were kidnapped for forced marriage. The number of suicide case in the opposite sex were reported to be only six which is five times less than that of women folk, says the report. In most of the suicide cases of women, the heirs of the deceased tried to conceal the fact and term it an accidental death to save the family honour fearing that it will bring a bad name to the good name of the family and evade the police interrogation. They dreaded the media, the report adds, and try their level best either to conceal it or prove that it was all accidental. The absence of a shelter home and women police station in the district has been termed as one of the reasons because a frustrated woman readily commits suicide when finds no place to go to in the hours of desperation. The immediate reasons have been enumerated as mental tension due to excessive domestic bickering, forced marriage against will, social inequalities and poverty. The number of married women committing suicide remained larger than the unmarried ones while in most of the cases, the violent attitude of the in-laws was cited to be immediate reason behind this heinous step. Describing the mode of committing suicide, the report says that in majority of the cases, the women jumped into Chitral river while taking poison was said to be another mode. The report suggests a scientific and social study to find out all the factors contributing to the rising tendency of suicide and put forward solution to the problem.–Zahiruddin]]>