Self-Immolation in Afghanistan

Hanife, 15, screams in pain as she has her bandages changes for the first time since undergoing skin graft surgery in the burn center of the Herat Regional Hospital in Herat, Afghanistan, August 3, 2010. Hanife tried to commit suicide by self-immolation after being beaten by her mother-in-law about fifty days prior. Hanife has been married about six months, and her husband is working in Iran to try to earn money for the family, and left her alone with abusive in-laws. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Afghan women commit suicide by self-immolation each year to escape abusive marriages and in-laws; divorce is considered too shameful of an option for a woman who wants to leave a marriage, and thus suicide is a more viable option. As Afghanistan continues along the path of war and economic recession, the number grows. (Photo by Lynsey Addario/Getty Images Reportage)