Why have so many Tajik women recently killed their babies and committed suicide?

VAHDAT: Experts in northern Tajikistan are alarmed at the rising suicide rate among young people and women, which have been fueled by increasing economic turmoil in the country.

According to reports, young mothers prefer to commit suicide after killing their infants because they are unable to make ends meet.

A local pot washer Manzura Borbieva recalled the horrible incident of a woman who dived in a river along with her baby.

"We told her to at least spare the child, but she would not listen,” Borbieva said.

“She told us, crying: ‘Whatever my destiny is, that will be the destiny of my child.'"

Economic instability is the root cause behind the spate of suicide cases.

Tajik men find have traditionally migrated to Russia to earn a living, but, according to experts, recent economic pressures have compelled women to also contribute to the household.

"Our men cannot find work to feed their large families. Quarrels start inside the home,” Borbieva said and added “This is what drives people to do such things.”

Observers also noted that early marriages and large family sizes placed a heavy burden on young women, who often also suffer from excessive demands of in-laws.

The national currency has also fallen 40 percent against the dollar since January 2014 and the government has sought help from international financial institutions to keep its battered banking system afloat.

According to the World Bank, Tajikistan is the world's biggest remittance economy; however, in recent times, remittances have fallen by around two thirds of their pre-2015 levels.

According to a state prosecutor, there were 325 registered suicides and attempted suicides among women in 2015.