Team Blitz India
MUMBAI: The city is grappling with a concerning surge in suicides among minor girls, unveiling a new public health challenge. Recent statistics obtained through the RTI Act from Mumbai police show a notable shift in suicide figures.
In the past, the number of suicides among teenage boys surpassed that of girls. However, in the past four years, this pattern has reversed. Between 2019 and 2022, while 188 boys died by suicide, there was a 23 per cent increase in the cases of underaged girls taking their lives, totalling 231.
Stress, relationship issues, reluctance to confide in families and stricter parental restrictions for girls are cited as potential triggers.
Experts also point out other factors like western influence, obsession with social media and societal pressures, particularly body-shaming and bullying which are amplified by social media as the reasons why more young girls are taking their lives. Mumbai ranked among the top five Indian cities with high suicide rates, witnessed a 22 per cent overall increase in suicides from 1,229 deaths in 2019 to 1,499 in 2022.
Throughout these four years, 1,260 women took their own lives, with men constituting a significantly higher number at 3,765. Notably, family-related issues and financial problems are cited as the main factors among adults.
