KABUL - Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) received more than 1,000 cases of violence against women in the first three months of the Persian year, according to MOWA Head of Rights Department Fauzia Amin.

"In the first three months of this year [March 21-June21], the Ministry of Women's Affairs recorded more than 1,000 cases of violence, murder, and suicide of women," Amin said.

"The Interior Ministry has promised to detain those committing violence against women," she added.

Meanwhile the Afghan Women's Network (AWN) condemned the news of a 13-year-old girl's kidnapping and rape in Baghlan province last week and a 16-year-old's recent lashing by mullahs in Jaghori district of Ghazni province.

AWN head Hafifa Azim on Sunday said that violence against women is on the rise and urged the government to properly prosecute the perpetrators, adding that no women will feel safe if the drum head court martials continue with impunity.

"Unfortunately violence against women is on the rise and the doers of these abuses are not prosecuted yet. If this continues, no woman will feel safe in the country anymore. The government should identify them and prosecute them," she said, adding that this level of violence cannot be tolerated. (Tolo News)