TARINKOT (SW): Women victims of domestic violence in Uruzgan province seeking safe roof are kept at private homes instead of a proper public shelter home.
Salam Watandar was informed the grieving women arriving in the provincial capital Tarinkot from the faraway restive areas long for a proper and safe public shelter home.
One such woman, S, informed she fled her home in Geezab district in search of a proper shelter, however, she has been kept by the administration in different private homes, and she cannot return home fearing severe backlash from her family. S informed she spend some days in the home of a policewomen, later some days at the home of a tribal elder and also in a prison. “I want to stay here [Tarinkot] and want to marry on my own will”.
Taj Bibi is another women seeking shelter in Tarinkot. She is a widow who escaped violence and persecution at her in-laws. Taj Bibi said she escaped torture in search of a shelter, but now in dearth of any such facility she cannot return home either where worst circumstances await her.
Abdul Ahad, head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in Uruzgan, said in this regard that the state of women is worrisome in the province. He said keeping weary women at private homes is a serious issue. The AIHRC official said people are reluctant to provide shelter to needy women, and the grieving women themselves are afraid of living at private homes.
Abdul Ahad stressed dedicated public shelter homes for women are severely needed in Uruzgan.
Provincial governor Asadullah Saedi, informed Salam Watandar Uruzgan is a traditional and conservative society, and establishing a shelter home would require extra efforts. He said efforts are underway to find a solution to this issue acceptable to both the women fleeing home and their families.
The local civil society believes ragging violence combined with poverty and illiteracy have resulted in gross violations of the citizens’ basic rights in the province.
ENDS
