September 10 marked the observance of World Suicide Prevention Day, an initiative which began in 2003 to shed light on the critical issue, diminish societal stigma, and heighten awareness. The theme since 2021, ‘Creating Hope Through Action,’ aims to inspire hope and bolster preventive measures.
In India, the day calls for attention once again to the frequently overlooked problem of suicide among housewives. Ever since India began categorising suicide data by occupation, housewives have consistently ranked among the top two groups. This trend held true for 2021, the most recent year for which data are available.
Table 1 | The table shows the year-wise share of housewives in the total female suicides.
