Self-immolation – fleeing violence

medica mondiale presents the first systematic study of suicides among Afghan women

Results

The reasons:

• Self-immolation as a method of committing suicide is so frequent because women feel they have no alternative. They can never leave the house and have no access to medicaments. However, there is flammable material in contrast in every kitchen.
• There are several reasons for self-immolation as an escape route, but it is almost always a way of fleeing violence.
• Coerced marriage or engagement, often as children

• Badla–a traditional method of resolving conflicts, in which by way of retribution the “guilty” family gives a girl to the family that has been wronged.
• False accusations by family members or the bridegroom
• Domestic violence, physical, psychological or sexualised
• Bullying by the husband’s family
• Rape
• Psychological problems or disorders
• Also: poverty; male polygamy; problems with the rural environment if the woman is from the city.

In addition, many women do not trust the Afghan judicial system or the police. They believe that the courts are more likely to condemn the women than the men who use violence against women – an assessment that is of course quite correct. Furthermore, many women have no access to the money they would need to go to court. The police is notorious for its corrupt and violent behaviour.

The figures:

From May to July 2006 there were 106 cases of self-immolation of women and girls in Kabul and Herat alone. 82 per cent of victims in Kabul died of the consequences of their burns.
14 per cent of these victims had 100 per cent burns.
Half died of 50 to 95 per cent burns.
30 of the victims were married, eight were single.

The victims all suffered from burns ranging from 30 to 100 per cent. Burns of over 50 per cent are almost always fatal. None of the women was taken to the hospital quickly enough and inappropriate methods were employed on many women (water instead of blankets to put out the flames). The burns often become infected in hospital; often the right medicines are not available or are in very short supply. The cause of death is collapse of the respiratory organs, sepsis due to a super-infection.

During the observation period in a hospital in Kabul 72 per cent of victims were women between 16 und 32 with between 20 per cent and 100 per cent burns. 93 percent of patients were women and girls between 9 and 40.

 

 

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