More than eleven years after the fall of the Taliban and presence of the international community in Afghanistan, violence against Afghan women is still widespread throughout the country.

Over the past eleven years, both international and Afghan activists took on various initiatives to support Afghan women in the fight for their rights. Nonetheless, statistics provided by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) demonstrate that violence against women remains rampant throughout Afghanistan.

Afghan women have been noticeably involved in political, economic and social activities over the past eleven years. Currently, three members of President Hamid Karzai’s cabinet, 69 representatives of the lower house and more than 20 members of the upper house of the Afghan National Assembly (NA), and a number of Afghanistan’s ambassadors are women. Despite these impressive achievements, more significant changes are desperately needed in the lives of ordinary Afghan women.

Around 3.8 million girls go to schools where
70 thousand teachers are females.

AIHRC’s statistics show that violence against women has increased by 21 percent over the past 6 months. For instance, more than 50 women were murdered as a result of domestic violence across Afghanistan. Also, women’s involvement in social, economic and political activities has decreased in many rural areas, especially at village and district levels.

Lack of access to justice is another major challenge faced by Afghan women. Official statistics illustrate that a significant number of courts have been shut down at the district level in many parts of Afghanistan. This paves the way for unofficial and tribal courts, which are mainly under control of the Taliban, tribal leaders, and warlords, to make decisions on women’s cases.

Lack of female lawyers is another challenge preventing women to secure their access to justice. AIHRC statistics also show that there are no female defense lawyers in 31 provinces of Afghanistan. As a result, there is almost no one to properly defend women’s cases in courts.

The Afghan government’s unwillingness or inability to detain, prosecute and punish those who violate women’s rights has concerned women’s rights activists. They believe that government has not done enough to bring women’s rights abusers to justice.

The Afghan government’s unwillingness or inability to detain, prosecute and punish those who violate women’s rights has concerned women’s rights activists.

The Ulema (Islamic Scholars) Council’s fatwa (legal opinion or ruling) issued last year which suggested imposing new restrictions on Afghan women has been another source of concern. The Afghan government’s eagerness to negotiate with the Taliban has also worried women’s rights advocates.

Luckily, a growing number of Afghan women and girls have had a chance to go to universities and schools over the past eleven years. Currently, 28 thousand women and girls study at public and private universities and around 3.8 million girls go to schools where 70 thousand teachers are females. Nevertheless, a significant number of Afghan women face challenges in the education sector. Hundreds of schools were forced to close across the country due to insurgency and insecurity. In insecure areas, teachers are still a target for the Taliban insurgents. As a result, 2.5 million girls are still unable to attend schools.

Economic violence is another challenge for Afghan women. 715 cases of economic violence were reported by AIHRC last year. These included depriving women of their salaries, inheritance, subsistence, and precious goods.

Currently, three members of President Hamid
Karzai’s cabinet, 69 representatives of the
lower house and more than 20 members of
the upper house of the NA, and a number of
Afghanistan’s ambassadors are women.

In spite of many significant achievements that Afghan women have accomplished over the past eleven years, their situation is still not satisfactory, as evidenced by the fact that violations against women’s rights are increasing each year.

WCLF’s findings show that poverty, insecurity, and corruption, particularly with judicial entities, are the primary culprits in the infringement of women’s rights.

To improve the situation for women, activists should continue advocating for women’s rights. They should pressure the Afghan government to enforce the Elimination of Violence against Women Law more firmly and should prosecute and punish those who violate women’s rights.

The withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan in 2014 and threats by Taliban insurgents have made women’s rights activists uneasy about their future. Given these fears, the Afghan government and international community should help Afghan women maintain their rights and build upon the achievement of the past eleven years.
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Pashto version of this article

منبع: http://www.bamdad.af/dari/story/2184