KABUL (SW): Back to back incidents of horrific violence against women across the country have raised concerns among the civil society.
The eastern Nangarhar province alone witnessed two such incidents in which a man allegedly married a minor sister-in-law while in another incident a little boy was brutally killed by his addicted father. In southern Kandahar province, 5 female employees of Kandahar international airport were gun down by armed men. No one took the responsibility but many on the social media blamed Taliban.
The government is claiming to be spending millions of dollars on combating violence against women and creating awareness in this regard, the civil society, however, remains skeptical.
Fawzia Kofi, head of women’s committee in the Wolesi Jirga (lower house) believes much of the activities for curbing violence against women as ‘symbolic’ moves. In conversation with Salam Watandar, she charged that such activities are executed by those who barely know a thing about women rights. “16 billion dollars have been spent on reducing violence against women but nothing has changed”, added Kofi.
Zahra Yagana, a female activist, however, said that fundamental structures have been laid for curbing violence against women in the country.
According to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), at least 70 cases of violence against women have been registered in the month of November alone.
Shabnam Sima, AIHRC deputy director at the regional office in Kabul expressed that the government should identify core issues in this regard and act precisely in eliminating the issues.
ENDS
