Kurdish Human Rights Project

Telephone Walter Jayawardene, Resources and Communications Coordinator at +44 (0) 207 405 3835

1 February 2007
Press Release: For immediate release

KHRP Completes European Parliament Initiative to Investigate High Suicide Rates amongst Women in Kurdish Regions

KHRP has completed a fact-finding mission to the Kurdish regions of Turkey and Iraq where the suicide rates amongst women have been on the increase. The mission sought to establish the situation of women living there and the issues contributing to these high suicide rates.

The mission, which was commissioned and funded by the European Parliament, was carried out by KHRP Consultant on Women and Children's Rights Margaret Owen, KHRP Advisory Board member Gillian Higgins, KHRP Deputy Director Rachel Bernu, Tanyel B. Taysi of University of Kurdistan-Hewler, KHRP Fellow Chnoor Amin and KHRP Research Project Team Member Handan Coskun .

The mission found that statistics on the subject were difficult to come by in Turkey since the government does not include ethnicity in official documentation and a fear of officialdom is pervasive amongst the families affected. The mission further observed that many recorded suicides may indeed have other causes, given cultural habits in both Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan which allow forced suicides to take place with impunity.

A full report of the mission's findings will be made available in the coming months.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Kurdish Human Rights Project
11 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1DH
Tel: 020 7405 3835
khrp@khrp.org www.khrp.org

Kurdish Human Rights Project is an independent, non-political human rights organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of the human rights of all people in the Kurdish regions. It is a registered charity, founded and based in London

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