CHITRAL: Activists of various civil society organisations have blamed gender-based violence for increasing suicides among women during the last couple of decades in Chitral.

They aired concern at a roundtable named ‘Siasi Bethak’ organised by Awaaz Forum of South Asian Partnership (SAP) here on Friday.

The speakers said that women were subjected to worst type of violence and their genuine rights were denied to them which threatened the social fabric. They said women in Chitral remained backward in every walk of life as they were never provided with an opportunity to express themselves and fully utilise their potential.

They pointed out that 40-50 women committed suicide in Chitral every year and called for educating and sensitising various segments of the society to arrest this menace.

The civil society members said that girls’ marriage in premature age against their will was the worst type of violence against them, which often forced them to end their lives.

The speakers also expressed apprehension over the fact that parents gave their daughters in marriage to people of down country without the girls’ consent and without knowing the credentials of the families, which often ended up with girls committing suicides.

They cited the murder of Tahira Bibi of Chitral in Lahore last week after being married off only four weeks ago.

Published in Dawn December 13th , 2014