Afghan Women Choose Suicide Over Facing Continued Violence

by Alex DiBranco · 2010-01-07 19:53:00 UTC
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A new report out of Canada finds that over 80 women lit themselves on fire in a province of Afghanistan last year.

When dozens of women consider being burned alive seems preferable to life, you know something's deeply wrong. The action brings to mind the Buddhist monks who used self-immolation to protest the Vietnam War -- and oh look! The United States has messed up both countries. (And will probably fail in both as well, because what would "success" in Afghanistan really look like?)

Last year, a controversial law legalized marital rape. A British reports found that 87% of women in Afghanistan have suffered violence, half of that sexual assault, and there are few places for women fleeing domestic violence. And President Hamid Karzai -- who we set up as our little puppet -- pardoned two men found guilty of gang-raping an Afghan woman. So the desire to escape the brutality of life shouldn't be that shocking.

Fellow Women's Rights blogger Pema pointed out in a post last month that, as long as we're in Afghanistan screwing around with things, we should at least have the decency to do something to protect women's human rights. Obviously that continues to be a vital issue for the new year.

Photo: Capture Queen

Alex DiBranco is a Change.org Editor who has worked for the Nation, Political Research Associates, and the Center for American Progress. She is now based in New York City.
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