KABUL - President Hamid Karzai on Thursday stressed respect for women’s rights, highlighting their enormous contribution to the cause of education and economic progress of today’s world.

Both Islam and Afghanistan’s culture attach great value to women’s role in the community, Karzai said in his biweekly radio address. “Some problems still exist, like violence against women, and fighting against it is our responsibility,”

Over the past 12 years, Afghan women had made many achievements in political, social, cultural and economic areas, the president said. Unfortunately, they were still subjected to unwanted treatment, he lamented.

Violence against women was in conflict with Islamic teachings and Afghan culture as well human values, he added. “Combating this form of violence is a collective responsibility of religious scholars, tribal elders, government departments and human rights organizations.”

Karzai stressed public awareness regarding women’s rights was a central part of that struggle. As long as such awareness remained elusive, efforts at combating anti-women violence would be hampered, he said.

He strongly urged government departments, NGOs, religious scholars and media outlets to raise their voice against the violence Afghan women were being subjected to. (Pajhwok)