AIHRC announces sharp rise in violence against women

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) is deeply concerned over a sharp increase of violence toward women.

Around one hundred and ninety cases women’s murder from all across the country have been filed with the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) during the first six months of the current year.

The commission noted that 2579 cases of violence against women have been recorded and the recent insecurity has been said the main reason of increase in violence against Afghan women.

“Violence against women had a remarkable increase in the past six months and statistics show that 2579 cases of violence against women have been registered which is separated from suicide and self-immolation,” said Suraya Subhrang, commissioner of AIHRC.

According to the registered statistics of the last six months:

2579 cases of violence committed all across the country which among them, 190 cases were women’s murder, 731 cases shows physical violence.

900 cases registered on verbal and psychological violence against women and 550 cases of economic violence were recorded.

Close to 183 cases were sexual violence and 215 cases were registered on family violence which is a large number.

The findings also show that 15 percent of honor killing and rape were committed by Afghan police officers.

Afghanistan has been one of the worst countries in the world to be born female.

Violence against women is endemic; girls attend school for less than half the number of years of Afghan boys, and one in every thirty-two women die from pregnancy-related causes.

Afghan women continue to experience poor health, limited economic opportunities, lack of education, an absence in participation in public life and all forms of violence.

The four decades of prolonged armed conflict across the country has contributed to significant levels of instability, insecurity, violence, rule of law challenges, and poverty and underdevelopment, which have obstructed the effective realization and enjoyment of human rights for people of Afghanistan.

It must be stressed that the insecurity, pervasive levels of gender-based violence and an ever-present climate of fear has had a disproportionate impact on the promotion, protection and fulfillment of human rights of women and girls.

The struggle to secure women’s rights in Afghanistan has been an embattled one. After years of faltering campaigns, the landmark Elimination of Violence against Women Act (EVAW) was passed in 2009 by presidential decree.