Taliban´s law drives women to suicide By Julian West in Kabul

AID workers in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan have reported a dramatic increase in the number of women committing suicide because they can no longer bear the country´s all-pervasive Islamic code.

In the worst cases, women have taken their own lives by swallowing caustic soda ­ an agonising and lingering death. In addition, the number of women admitted to mental hospitals with severe depression has more than doubled since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan´s capital, Kabul, 20 months ago and forbade women to work. There has also been a rise in domestic violence as frustration builds up in families, already in dire economic straits. And there are reports of prostitution among street children as young as eight or nine.

The suicides are spoken of only in whispers. Because of social and religious taboos, families usually try to record them as accidental deaths. Even international aid agencies have been asked not to speak out. One foreign agency spokesman called suicide among women "a very sensitive subject". But a doctor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that women had been committing suicide "in greatly increased numbers" and that the most common method was caustic soda. "Caustic soda burns away the throat," he said. "It takes three days to die. Regrettably, the only surgeon capable of performing the kind of intervention needed is in a hospital that is now closed to women."

He also said that many young women had visited him claiming to have a heart condition, and asking for potentially lethal digoxin tablets. The increase in female suicide has been highlighted in a recent United Nations report on Afghanistan. "Yes, women are killing themselves and I´ve heard they take caustic soda. It´s increasing every day," one psychiatrist said. "They have no bread, no food, nothing. Not long ago, a woman neighbour of one of my patients jumped from a fifth floor window. Why? Because she had nothing to eat".

CRIME BRIEFS
  Dowry harassment by husband
  drives teenage housewife to death

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DECCAN CHRONICLE, HYDERABAD          WED., APRIL 29, 1998

CRIME BRIEFS
  Dowry harassment leads to suicide

Hyderabad, April 28: A 20-year-old housewife, Kavita, ended her life by setting herself ablaze on Monday, allegedly due to dowry harassment. According to the Banjara Hills police, she was married to Venkataram Reddy, a teacher in Mahbubnagar district. Her parents gave Rs 3 lakh as dowry but her husband and in-laws started harassing her for more. On April 19, the deceased was beaten mercilessly and her mangalasutra was snatched. Unable to bear the harassment, she set herself ablaze after dousing with kerosene.

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DECCAN CHRONICLE, HYDERABAD         SUNDAY, JULY 5, 1998

CRIME BRIEFS
  Ends life due to dowry demands

Hyderabad, July 4: A 23-year-old housewife, Sridevi, committed suicide by hanging herself at her residence in Vijayanagar Colony under the Humayun Nagar police station limits on Friday evening. The deceased is said to have taken the extreme step due to harassment by her in­laws for additional dowry. According to the police, she was married to V V Kiran, a computer engineer, seven months ago. At the time of marriage, her parents gave Rs 1 lakh cash and 30 tolas of gold. Her in­laws were reportedly harassing her demanding a share in her father´s property. Unable to bear the harassment, she ended her life. The Humayun Nagar police are investigating the case.

at around 9 p.m. Thursday.
   It had been raining hard and the body
was spotted lying in a puddle of water in Iztapalapa, a district on the southeastern side of the city. She had been stripped of all belongings and smothered with a plastic bag, the police report said late Friday.
   Landa, who was well known nationally, had

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