CHITRAL, April 5: As many as 30 women have committed suicide in Chitral during last two years and such cases are on the rise due to several factors, including lack of proper protection to women in distress, says a report compiled by Human Rights Programme Chitral (HRPC).

The report put the women committing suicide in the age group of 15-35 years. It said that the number of women attempting suicide during this period stood at five while three women were kidnapped for forced marriage.

The report said that only six male persons committed suicide during last two years in Chitral.

In most of the suicide cases involving women, the heirs of the deceased tried to conceal the fact, terming the suicide an accidental death just to save the family’s ‘honour’ and avert police interrogation.

According to the HRPC report, the absence of a shelter home and women police station in the district had been one of the reasons for rising number of suicides, as the women could not find a place to go in the hour of desperation.

The immediate reasons have been stated as mental tension due to excessive domestic bickering, forced marriage, social inequalities and poverty.

The number of married women committing suicide remained larger than unmarried ones, while violent attitude of in-laws had been cited to be an immediate reason for a suicide in most of the cases.

The report says that in majority of the cases, the women jumped into Chitral river to end life.

It suggests a scientific study to find out all the factors contributing to rising tendency of suicide among women and put forward solution to the problem.