By Mahsa Elham
In the last 48 hours, five women and girls attempted or died by suicide in Nimruz and Ghor provinces, according to hospital registrations. Two teens died in Ghor while three attempts occurred in just one 24-hour period in Nimruz, sources tell Zan Times.
An employee at the public hospital of Nimruz province tells Zan Times that three females – a 23-year-old woman from Delaram district as well as two teens between 16 and 18 – were brought to the hospital. “All three women attempted suicide by eating rat poison, their stomachs were washed at the hospital and their lives saved,” the source says.
In addition to those attempts at death by suicide, another seven women and girls were brought to the hospital in the past 48 hours with injuries caused by beatings and torture, mostly by their families. Those seven were discharged after treatment, the source tells Zan Times.
Mina* is the 23-year-old mother of two who was transferred to this hospital from Delaram district. She says this is the third time she has attempted to die by suicide in the past few years. Her troubles began seven years ago, when her family forced her to become the second wife of a 44-year-old man at the age of 16.
“During the past seven years, my husband, his wife and children have been continuously beating and torturing me. I knocked on all doors both during the republic and during the Taliban, but no one heard my cry for help,” she explains to Zan Times. She has attempted to end her life three times. “I hanged myself once and eat rat poison twice, trying to save myself from the cruelty of my husband’s family, but each time the neighbors brought me to the hospital.”
“The Taliban should stone me or shoot me, but don’t hand me over to my cruel husband,” she pleads, crying. The same night that Mina was taken to the hospital, two other girls attempted suicide by eating rat poison. They also say forced marriages are why they tried to die by suicide.
Nilofar* is a relative of the 16-year-old girl who tried to end her life by eating rat poison. “The girl’s father wanted to marry his daughter to a Taliban commander, but the girl was against it and attempted to end her life by eating rat poison,” Nilofar explains to Zan Times.
The third woman brought to this hospital after ingesting rat poison is an 18-year-old girl who was also being forced into a marriage against her will. “Her father had planned to give her into marriage to her cousin, but the girl did not want to marry her cousin,” a relative explains. “She went to her room last night and tried to commit suicide by eating rat poison, and her family was informed and they took her to the hospital.”
In addition to those three attempts by females to die by suicide in Nimruz, two teens in Ghor province died on Saturday, December 17. One of these girls was a 13-year-old while another was an 18-year-old girl named Parimah from the Theora district. One of Parimah’s relatives says that she ended her life due to a forced marriage. If that weren’t enough, two days ago, the news of the suicide of a female student was reported in Daikundi Province.
The suicide rate for women has skyrocketed since the Taliban regained power and imposed restrictions on women’s ability to work and take part in society. Women need to be accompanied by a close male relative to do everyday tasks, such as buying food or going for a walk. Their situation is so desperate that the United Nations estimates at least one or two women die by suicide every day in Afghanistan. In addition, forced marriages and domestic violence are common and there are few social services aimed at helping women with mental health or domestic violence problems.
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the interviewees.
