The data published by United Nation Organization reflects heart throbbing statistics on account of women rights violation. It reads –35% of women and girls globally experience some form of physical and or sexual violence in their lifetime with up to seven in ten women facing this abuse in some countries. On account of enforced marriages, it uncovers, more than 700 million women alive today were married as children, 250 million of whom were married before the age of 15. Girls who marry before the age of 18 are less likely to complete their education and more likely to experience domestic violence and complications in childbirth.
Every alternate day endless tales of butcheries, physical torture, harassment and sexual assaults are surfaced where women render prey to flawed cultural practices, biased laws and Sharia doctrines. The world turns deaf ears to the hapless cries, blind eyes negligent to see the magnitude of mental sufferings they endure while getting out to earn a livelihood, numb to realize the numerous pain of gender based victimization she bears frequently, because of fallacious socio-religious structure based on irrational biases. It reflects women are coerced to repression after being found hapless and voiceless.
Violence against women in Afghanistan have kept women very far away from education which is one of the reasons that usually subjected them to extensive discriminations because they are kept ignorant to their fundamental rights. The choices of Afghan women are extraordinarily restricted; the family decides the fate of their lives. There is little chance for education, little choice about whom she marries no choice at all about her role in her own house.
The role of women in peace, reconciliation, rehabilitation and nation building must not be repudiated. They must be heard by granting maximum if not equal opportunities in societal making. The upcoming government keeping his promise should take bold and immediate measures undoing all such developments eroding and restraining the capabilities of women to work for the good of society provided empowered women can effectively contribute in the development of the country. Every year November 25th is celebrated as an International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. This year a campaign “Orange the world: End violence against women and girls” is launched to create awareness among the people. Women constitute half of world population. They can play foundational role in formation and development of the society for upcoming generation.
They owe equivalent vigor to outstand and undertake the societal undertakings. Regretfully, they are deemed and treated second class citizen; meant to plague their innate capabilities rendering them dysfunctional. If properly educated and socialized they can be turned into valuable human resource earning enormous riches for poverty stricken countries. If shun in constant denial they will degenerate without productive contribution. In Afghanistan violence against women is much widespread and deeply rooted in different parts of the country. Violence against women is a dramatic problem in Afghanistan that has caused lots of damages to the life of women itself as well as to the society. Women in Afghanistan have no or little voice to be heard and they have always been victims of violence either from their own family or from the society. They have never given equal rights specially the right to freedom and never been treated equally because the traditions, customs and practices have always kept men to be superior.
The flawed cultural practices supported by high degree of illiteracy ratify intense violence against women, stand legitimate and justified. The culture deeming women as subordinate citizen multiplies their receptiveness to greater tendency of being subjected to ill-treatment. Apart from formal education, community based adult education and awareness campaigns on momentous right’s issues complementary to Islamic teachings might assuage the stringency of substandard customary law. The wretchedness does not end here as the incidents of violence against women remain largely under-reported because of cultural restraints, social norms and religious beliefs. Widespread discrimination and women’s fears of social disgrace or threats to their lives discourage them from seeking to prosecute their offenders. Being receptive to pressure of international community, former President Hamid Karzai issued presidential decree on women’s rights “Elimination of Violence against Women Law” (EVAW), which faced staunch opposition by conservative lawmakers and their supporters inside and outside the parliament. The law also outlaws “ba’ad,” a traditional practice of exchanging women or girls to settle disputes or debts. Unquestionably, the conservative elements aired their concerns, demanding the development should be averted. The fact being about the law if properly applied it may provide remedy to most if not all issues related to violence against women.
Afghan authorities are continuously called to take, much greater steps to both facilitate reporting of incidents of violence against women and launch immediate investigatory cells in districts and division level facilitating the prosecution. As long as women and girls in Afghanistan are subject to violence with impunity, little meaningful and sustainable progress for women’s rights can be achieved in the country. Ensuring rights for Afghan women – such as their participation in public life, including in the peace and reconciliation process and equal opportunities in education and employment – requires not only legal safeguards on paper, but critically, speedy and full enforcement of the EVAW law.
Afghan authorities are continuously called to take, much greater steps to both facilitate reporting of incidents of violence against women and launch immediate investigatory cells in districts and division level easing the prosecution.
The European Union (EU) and European Union Police Mission (EUPOL) in Afghanistan in a joint statement on the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women urged Afghan government to eliminate violence Against Women. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the EU in Afghanistan expressed its concern over the continuing violations of women’s rights in the country.
As long as women and girls in Afghanistan are subject to violence with impunity, little meaningful and sustainable progress for women’s rights can be achieved in the country. Ensuring rights for Afghan women – such as their participation in public life, including in the peace and reconciliation process and equal opportunities in education and employment – requires not only legal safeguards on paper, but critically, speedy and full enforcement of the EVAW law.