Chivalry is not the title man owes, because he can suppress and duress the hapless daughter of eve – because she treats him in the gentlest way. Every alternate day endless tales of butcheries, physical torture, harassment and sexual assaults are surfaced where women are made prey to flawed cultural practices, biased laws and Shariah doctrines.
Formerly, on the eve of celebration of International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, a man slaughtered his wife in northwestern Faryab province. There are numerous heart wrecking incidents and equated anti-norms that go unreported. The flawed cultural practices back growing gender biases and disparity. A woman is considered inferior, incompetent and mentally impaired; consequently she is held liable to punishment even for a minor disobedience. She is, neither a partner in decision nor knows about the decision that dictates her fate. Ultimately, an absolute submission to the decision of parent is the standard for decency.
The government instead of taking measures to uphold women rights is going back in time by enforcement of stoning in Afghanistan penal code. Human Rights Watch registered grave distress and said that a working group led by the Justice Ministry that is assisting in drafting Afghanistan’s new penal code had proposed provisions on “moral crimes” involving adultery that call for stoning. Adultery currently is a crime in Afghanistan punishable with up to 15 years imprisonment.
Formerly a couple was shot on head on unaccredited accusation of adultery. If the law persists un interrupted, numerous rocking incidents might take place that will claim reasonless lives of innocents in the name of honor killings.
Previously, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) voiced an identical concern over women’s continuing plight, including murder, rape and summary execution. According to AIHRC, 4,154 cases of violence against women were reported over the past six months, up from 3,331 cases in the last half of the previous year which shows a difference of 24.7 percent rises in violence against women. The reports says, women suffered 1,249 cases of physical violence, 976 of verbal and psychological aggression, 862 of economic violent behavior, 262 of sexual harassment and 805 cases, including forced and early marriages.
“The figures show that the culture of impunity still exists in the country and a weak follow-up by the relevant state organs and stakeholders has caused this problem to get more intense,” the statement added.
Though there have been endeavors to heighten the position of women within Afghan society, there are serious concerns still intact in this regard. Though improvements have been observed, the basic factors that are responsible for the discrimination of women have not been uprooted considerably. Strict tribal norms and values with great gender bias, religious extremism and weak law and order situation have been violating the rights of the women to a great extent. It is really unfortunate to note that discrimination against women is not just related to the violation of rights rather it has now turned into merciless violence against them.
There have been many cases in Afghanistan wherein the females have been physically tortured. Beating them severely, cutting them brutally, burning them alive or throwing acids on them have been witnessed by many throughout the country apart from forcing them to marry at a very early age, selling and buying them for the purpose of prostitution or forced marriages, compelling them for self-immolation and raping them.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and UN Women have recently emphasized that it would not be possible to carry the movement of protecting the rights of Afghan women if the violence against them is not completely controlled through tough and appropriate implementation of the law on Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW).
It is really a fact that unless law enforcement agencies carry out concrete measures to enact the law so as to control violence against women, it would be very difficult to control the situation within a society where women are not considered even human beings.
It is necessary that Afghan government and law enforcing agencies should take serious notice of the discrimination and violence against women. However, at the same time it is necessary to address the root causes of the problem. It is important to bring about changes in the way the women are perceived within our society. Unless, they are considered human beings and important part of the society it is very difficult to control discrimination and violence against them.