Self-immolation – fleeing violence

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

Recommendations and proposed measures from the study and conference:

1. Legislation and case law – the Afghan legal system needs to be completed and reformed. The objective is harmonisation of criminal law and civil liberties provisions. Deterrence and penalties must be more firmly entrenched in legislation. Sharia must be adapted to international and national law. There is a lack of awareness of the difference between murder and suicide – awareness-raising about this issue is urgently needed throughout society.
    
2. Medicine and health – medical staff in all professional groups must be trained to deal with burns victims. Well-trained health counsellors are needed.
   The provinces need more health centres, equipment in the existing centres needs to be modernised. Access to hospitals and doctors must be improved particularly in rural areas. There must be forensic investigations of cases of suicide and self-immolation.
    
3. Women’s rights=human rights – Afghanistan has ratified several human rights conventions. These must be transposed into national law and implemented as part of both a phased and strategic approach. Human rights should be taught as part of the curriculum in schools, with a particular focus on women’s rights. It must become clear across society that violence against women is a crime.
    
4. Awareness in society – The media, teaching curricula and publications should trigger public discussion of the topic.
    
5. Acting with a focus on goals in the psycho-social sphere – Psychologists and specialist neurological clinics could be involved to provide support. These teams should also be able to access the villages.
    
6. The role of the media – Journalists need to be aware that their reporting on self-immolation should not be sensation-seeking, as this could trigger copy-cat incidents. There is a lack of round table discussions, contact with mullahs and women’s organisations; more campaigns and information material are also needed.
    

 

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Advanced inquiries and arrangement of interviews:
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