There has been much discussion in the last few weeks about the difficulties faced by Afghan women. The horrible similarities in these two news items illustrates that the war against women knows no boundaries. If helping the women of Afghanistan was truly a priority, by the same logic, I suppose we will now have to invade Tajikistan.
In Tajikistan:
A Tajik official says the high rate of self-immolation among women in southern Tajikistan is related in most cases to domestic violence perpetrated by men, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reports.
Suhrob Salomov, an Interior Ministry official in Khatlon Province, told RFE/RL that 108 cases of suicide and attempted suicide by women have been recorded in the province in 2010. He said 52 people have died as a result and tens of others have been injured.
Salomov added that at least 50 percent of the known cases of attempted suicide were related to domestic violence and violence against women.
In Afghanistan:
Former Deputy Health Minister Faizullah Kakar recently completed a study (published in Dari) indicating that rising numbers of women and girls aged 15-40 are attempting suicide in Afghanistan. His findings were presented at a news conference in Kabul on 31 July.
The study, based on Health Ministry records and hospital reports, said an estimated 2,300 women or girls were attempting suicide annually – mainly due to mental illness, domestic violence and/or socio-economic hardship. “This is a several-fold increase on three decades ago,” said Kakar, currently a health adviser to President Hamid Karzai.
