Asmaa Fathi

Egypt – Recent months have witnessed a notable rise in suicide rates, especially among women, amid complex economic and social conditions that multiply daily pressures. This phenomenon is no longer isolated individual cases but reflects a deeper crisis in which poverty, social stigma, and weak legal protection intersect.

Notably, a number of these cases are linked to women who have cases in family courts, raising questions about the nature of support available to them, whether legal or social, as the litigation journey often becomes an additional burden rather than a means of justice.

In response, these challenges intersect with socially imposed roles on women, especially breadwinners, who find themselves fully responsible for supporting their families without sufficient resources or effective institutional support. In this context, a fundamental question arises: "Do these cases reflect a failure in the social and legal protection system, or are they a natural result of accumulated pressures without real support pathways?"

Breadwinning women... when the burden turns into an existential crisis

Breadwinning women top the crisis scene, as they bear multiple responsibilities with limited resources and accumulated pressures. This reality is not limited to the material aspect alone but extends to include psychological and social burdens that multiply their feelings of isolation and despair.

Societal perception also plays a role in deepening the crisis, especially with the continued stigmatization of some women, particularly divorced women, blaming them for relationship failures, which adds a new moral burden.

Lawyer Shaima Hassan explains that breadwinning women face compounded pressures, starting from financial burdens and not ending with the social stigma that follows some of them. She points out that these pressures, along with the absence of economic security, push some women to states of extreme despair, especially when they find themselves solely responsible for supporting children without adequate support.

Laws that do not do justice... financial burdens insufficient for living

The legal aspect represents one of the most prominent challenges facing women after separation, as court rulings often do not guarantee a minimum decent standard of living. This shortfall directly reflects on women's ability to persevere.

This problem also reveals a gap between legal texts and the reality of implementation, making many rulings ineffective on the ground.

Shaima Hassan indicates that the value of maintenance that some women receive does not match the requirements of life, sometimes not exceeding a few thousand pounds, an amount insufficient to cover basic needs such as food, housing, education, and treatment.

This reality puts women under continuous pressure, pushing some of them to think about withdrawing from life itself – a matter that requires intervention from all concerned parties to address before it worsens later.

Enforcement crisis... when rulings become futile

The crisis does not stop at the issuance of rulings but extends to enforcement mechanisms, which suffer from great complexities. This flaw makes accessing rights an exhausting and uncertain process.

Disparities in enforcement also emerge between cases, especially between government employees and self‑employed individuals, creating additional gaps in achieving justice.

Shaima Hassan explains that implementing rulings remains a real challenge, especially if the husband does not work in a government job. In this case, a woman may be forced to settle for limited amounts, even if she has multiple rulings. She affirms that this amount is insufficient to secure children's needs, exacerbating women's suffering and increasing their sense of helplessness.

Limited initiatives... support that does not reach the most needy

Despite some civil society initiatives, their effectiveness remains limited, especially in reaching women most at risk. Severe cases of despair often isolate themselves from society, making it difficult for these initiatives to reach them.

This reality also raises questions about the nature of the support provided and its suitability to the scale and complexity of the crisis, especially as ending one's life has recently become the closest option for many women – reflecting a real crisis in finding solutions or dealing with crises in all their forms, whether related to family or work.

Shaima Hassan believes that awareness seminars or psychological support sessions, however important, are not enough on their own, especially since women suffering from genuine despair often close in on themselves and do not participate in these activities. She affirms that the crisis requires deeper interventions and more direct access to the most needy cases.

Required reforms... from expediting litigation to community awareness

In the face of this crisis, the need for comprehensive reforms emerges, starting from reviewing legal procedures and not ending with enhancing community awareness. These solutions require integrated intervention that takes into account the different dimensions of the problem.

The importance of reducing time and procedural burdens on women also emerges, especially during litigation stages, which may take a long time without real justification, further complicating the situation for women, especially those supporting their families or who have no source of income to endure all this time.

Shaima Hassan proposes the need to reduce unnecessary procedures, such as waiting periods in settlement offices, and to accelerate litigation and appeal periods. She also stresses the importance of launching real awareness campaigns that reach women inside their homes through various media, and providing direct psychological and social support, especially for breadwinning women, to help them overcome crises before they escalate.

Real‑life stories... when pain becomes a real danger

Away from numbers and analyses, real‑life stories reveal the depth and intensity of the crisis. These stories reflect the magnitude of suffering experienced by some women and illustrate how pressures can reach critical moments. These cases also highlight the need for urgent intervention to prevent crises from turning into tragic endings.

Shaima Hassan recounts that she encountered shocking examples from her work in family courts, including the case of a woman who found herself homeless with her children after divorce, forced to sleep in building entrances and clean stairs to secure a minimum of living. She points out that such cases may lead to thoughts of suicide – not as a desire to die, but as an escape from a harsh reality with no solutions.

It is worth noting that the increasing suicide rates among women reveal a complex crisis that goes beyond individuals to indicate a flaw in social and legal protection systems. Between daily life pressures, litigation complexities, and weak institutional support, many women find themselves in an open confrontation with burdens beyond their capacity to bear.

This crisis affirms that the solution does not lie in partial or temporary interventions, but in rebuilding an integrated system that ensures economic justice, speedy litigation, and effective psychological and social support. Only this path can open doors to life for women, instead of pushing them to the edge of despair.