UN Special Rapporteur Investigating "Forced Suicides" by Women in Turkey
Thursday, June 1, 2006 10:35 AM
The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women will embark on a fact-finding mission regarding a recent spike in the suicide rate of women in Turkey. Some suspect the high suicide rates are linked to tougher laws against honor killings. Women are forced to kill themselves for bringing disgrace on their family, as opposed to male relatives killing them to restore the family honor. Recent reforms have made the penalties for honor killings more severe, so families are choosing to force the woman to commit suicide instead. The Turkish government and women’s groups are working to raise awareness about the issue and reverse the culturally ingrained mentality that compels killing in order to restore family honor. Compiled from: "UN probes Turkey 'forced suicide'", BBC News (24 May 2006).