Suicide awareness efforts intensify in northeast Syria
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The Women’s Board of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) revealed on Wednesday that 16 cases of suicide and 74 attempts were recorded across the region over the past six months.
Edalet Omar, co-chair of the Women’s Board, made the announcement on the occasion of the World Suicide Prevention Day, stressing the importance of solidarity with international efforts to combat the phenomenon. “The board aimed to organize events to oppose this issue, especially as northeast Syria works to fight various forms of violence and killings affecting women in particular,” she said.
Omar emphasized that the documented figures do not reflect the full scale of the issue, noting that actual numbers are likely higher than officially recorded.
Since the beginning of the revolution, women in northeast Syria have achieved significant milestones, she said, including full participation in political structures, the adoption of a co-chair system, guaranteeing 50 percent representation in the social contract, and drafting a women-specific social contract.
“Despite these achievements, women continue to face different forms of violence, including a rise in suicides and attempts in some areas,” Omar added.
The Women’s Board has collaborated with the joint platform of women’s movements and organizations to conduct workshops aimed at understanding the root causes of suicide. As part of World Suicide Prevention Day, the board issued statements in Arabic, Kurdish, and English to raise awareness.
Omar concluded that the board‘s goal is to continue combating violence, emphasizing that suicide affects not only women but men as well, and spans multiple age groups. She reaffirmed the boarf’s commitment to finding solutions to build a society free from suicide and related violations.