KABUL - Afghanistan’s first lady Rula Ghani has called on armed insurgents to end the ongoing violence in the country and to choose a life of peace.
Addressing a gathering on the eve of International Women’s Day, Rula Ghani said on Monday this year the message of the women in Afghanistan to the armed opponents is a message of peace and a call to end the war.
The Afghan people have suffered tremendously because of the fallout of the war imposed on them. Thousands of civilians have been killed as a result of violence and war, Rula Ghani said.
“The women of Afghanistan and I humbly appeal to them (the insurgent groups) to stop the war. They should not exploit the interests of this great nation for their own, they (insurgents) should not add further pain to this nation,” said the first lady.
She said that violence against women is against the human ethic, adding that Islam has considered a special status for women.
Ghani also called on men to respect the rights of women and treat them with kindness.
“Islamic principles teach us to deal with women with kindness, because the women are the main builders of the society,” she said.
The Minister of Women Affairs Dilbar Nazari also called on the Afghan families to allow the women to obtain an education.
“We need to raise the issue of literacy among men and women from a national platform. This is a national obligation and it is our responsibility, women and men in Afghanistan will not learn about their genuine rights unless all of them are educated,” said Nazari.
The remarks were made in the western province of Herat.
“Unfortunately, domestic violence which has roots in our tradition is still disturbing the psychology of our people. Still the perception of the society toward the women remains a male-dominated perspective,” said Herat governor Mohammad Asif Rahimi. (Tolonews)