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Award of Excellence
Paula Bronstein Getty Images
"BROKEN LIVES"
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Afghan women turn to self-immolation as a way to commit suicide, choosing this method turns their life into a living hell. There is an Afghan proverb: ' Your bones belong to your family but your muscles belong to your husband.' The problems facing women in Afghanistan are complex and are closely linked to their subordinate position in the Afghan society where conservative Islamic laws and traditions dictate what a woman is allowed to do in a male dominated world. Forced marriages, domestic violence, poverty and lack of access to education are the main reasons for suicide. Hayato, 36, lays in her bed November 17, 2006 at the Herat Regional hospital Burn unit in Herat, Afghanistan. This is the second time that Hayato has burned herself, the first time was a year ago. Doctors say that she is very mentally disturbed but she says that her husband doesn't care about her anymore. her left hand was burned a year ago while her right is from her recent suicide attempt. The medical staff at the Herat hospital says that they have registered around 700 self-immolations cases so far this year. Hospital officials say they lack proper salaries for the nurses and doctors and suffer from a lack of medical supplies. A new burn center for the crowded hospital that was suppose to be finished in 2005 is still under construction. |
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