Suicide on the rise in Iranian Kurdistan

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) - In the past 9 months, 78 people in the Kurdish region of Iran, mostly women, have committed suicide, a Rights group reported on Monday.

According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Association (KMMK), Golmorad Azizi a peddler and father of five, hanged himself at home on Friday.

Azizi was from the city of Kamyaran, Province of Kermanshah (known among Kurds as Kermashan). Kamyaran appears to show an increase in suicide rates.

Crippling economy and soaring prices, lack of prospect for a better future and deep disappointments in life are said to be among the main reasons for suicide.

Earlier this month a Kurdish woman in her twenties who had been volunteering to help the victims of the earthquake in Kermashan ended her life.

In November, the photo of a woman who had hanged herself from a tree in a forest on the outskirts of Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, was shared on social media to discover her identity.

Local media have reported on suicide among Kurdish girls as young as 8.

Among the methods chosen for suicide, fire is a highly popular choice despite its severe consequences.

Women in Iran have the highest rates of suicide in the world after China and India.

Kurdish provinces of Ilam and Kermashan show some of the highest rates of suicide in the country.

Poverty, lack of education surrounding mental health issues, lack of preventative measures regarding suicide, Kurds' distrust in authorities, the patriarchy deeply rooted in the Kurdish and Iranian culture, and misogyny in the Iranian family laws are among the main reasons that women find no other prospect but to end their lives.