A young Nepalese mother set herself on fire after the birth of her third daughter in Nawalparasi. On the night of January 22, 26-year-old Kisun Naue put her daughters to bed after dinner and waited for her husband to fall asleep. She then entered another room and poured a whole can of gasoline over herself, setting herself on fire with a match.

Naue comitted suicide for fear of the family reaction and judgment of the local population. She had fallen into depression after the birth of her last child in December. “For weeks she was sad and complained about not being able to give birth to a son, but none of us imagined such a reaction,” revealed Phul Kumari, her mother-in-law.

Local police spokesman Keshav Adhikari, explained, “Every year, hundreds of women commit suicide because they give birth to females and not males.” The cases are concentrated in the southern regions of the country, where cultural traditions are stronger.