Moroccan Women Face Higher Suicide Rates, WHO Report Reveals

We will never understand the reasons why some resort to this desperate act of suicide. Moroccan society is increasingly facing the phenomenon. Men generally do it by hanging, while women, less brutal, prefer to take medication, according to ouest-france.fr.

Meryeme Bouzidi Laraki is the president of the association "Sourire de Réda", based in Casablanca. She knows the pain felt by those whose loved ones choose suicide as a solution. The association bears the name of her son who took his own life at the age of 13. "We were the first family in Morocco to speak openly about suicide. We wanted to allow minors, girls or boys, not to remain isolated or in distress".

But what are the reasons that push Moroccan women to act so that their number is so high? "It may be severe depressions, but also domestic violence. There are also the cases of single mothers, who became pregnant out of wedlock, and who do not want to keep their baby," says the activist. Added to this is the loss of self-confidence and hope for the future.

Despite these ravages, the subject is taboo in Morocco, since Islam condemns suicide. This is especially true in urban areas, says Meryeme Bouzidi Laraki. In the city, "a suicide has so many consequences on image, family and reputation".

Suicide, according to the activist, has become a matter of public interest in Morocco. "We have a real need for a national prevention strategy," she concludes.