Female Suicides Increased for the 2nd Consecutive Year

17-03-2022 

Malina Wiethaus

Japan and Human Rights Researcher 

Global Human Rights Defence 

Japan has witnessed a sharp increase in female suicides in 2020. With a nearly 15% rise in female suicides, the overall cases surged for the first time in 11 years. Male suicides decreased in 2020. The trend indicates that women in particular are mentally affected by the consequences of the Covid 19 pandemic (Wingfield-Hayes, 2021). 

In 2021, the same horrifying trend can be witnessed. As announced by the health ministry in March 2022, the overall number of suicides have been decreasing in Japan from the previous year. Nevertheless, the decrease is due to the declining number of male suicides. Women suicides are rising - again. While the overall number of suicides decreased by only 74 cases from 2020, female suicides have increased consecutively, totaling 7 068 female suciides in 2021 (Kyodo News, 2022). 

The reasons for this concerning trend are complex. The high suicide rates of females are often a result of health issues. After health issues, females commit suicide for family problems. This can include marital discord and pessimism among other things (Kyodo News, 2022). Furthermore, Jun Tachibana, the founder of the Bond Project elaborates that for women suffering from physical or mental abuse, the Covid 19 pandemic has increased the misery (Wingfield-Haynes, 2021).

Japan has a history of having the highest sucicide rates in all developed countries. It has, however, drastically decreased its cases with great effort (Wingfield-Haynes, 2021). Now, the health care ministry must keep up its good work by decreasing the stigma surrounding mental health issues and implementing effective prevention measures to support women (Rich and Hida, 2021). 

Sources and further readings: 

KYODO NEWS. (2022, March 15). Female suicides rise in Japan for 2nd straight year in 

2021. 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from 

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/03/fad334c299c7-female-suicides-rise-in-japan-for-2nd-straight-year-in-2021.html

Rich, M., & Hida, H. (2021, August 25). Why Suicide Rose Among Japanese Women During 

the Pandemic. The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/world/asia/japan-women-suicide-coronavirus.ht

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Wingfield-Hayes, B. R. (2021, February 18). Covid and suicide: Japan’s rise a warning to 

the world? BBC News. Retrieved March 17, 2022, from 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-55837160