What's Driving A Rash Of Suicides In A Remote Kyrgyz Town?

The remote town of Andarak, located in southern Kyrgyzstan near the Tajik border, has seen a disturbing increase in the number of suicides among young, married women. In 2023 alone, at least 11 women attempted suicide, resulting in six deaths and leaving several young children without mothers. What all the cases appear to have in common are young women taking desperate action to escape a life of grinding poverty and domestic violence.