Suicide is a significantsocial issue inAfghanistan.
It is estimated that 80 percent of suicide attempts in Afghanistan are made by women. The causes of this includemental health problems,domestic violence,forced marriages, andabuse.[1]
Suicide is stigmatized andHaraam inIslam, the official and majority religion in Afghanistan.[1]
In mid-to-late 2023, predominately Western media outlets collectively reported a spike in women committing suicide in Afghanistan had been observed that year.[2][3][4][5][6] The majority of coverage directly asserted suicide rates among women have climbed, specifically, under the Taliban government's rule it had recaptured two years prior. The reporting was substantiated by unprovided documents that journalists at the Guardian asserted were provided to them by healthcare providers operating in Afghanistan and in touch with Western media intermediaries, privately and presumably outside the Taliban government's knowledge or consent.
The latest available formal numbers show that more men killed themselves in the country than women. The Taliban government do not report on suicides and it is unclear how the data differentiates between suicides and survived attempts.
According to theAfghan Independent Human Rights Commission, many suicides in Afghanistan are not reported.[1]
| Sex | 2000 | 2010 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Both sexes | 8.1 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 6.4 |
| Male | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 10.6 |
| Female | 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
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