Govt Signs Anti-Harassment Of Women And Children’s Act

The government has signed the law on prevention and prohibition of harassment of women and children in Afghanistan after a year-long delay.

The members of parliament women affairs commission gathered on Sunday with relevant ministries’ officials to discuss and make way for implementation of the anti-harassment of women and children’s act which has been signed recently by President Ashraf Ghani.

The head of the commission said that violence prevents women to make progress and that “honest” efforts should be made against this phenomenon.

“Considering the situation, we have made the anti-harassment of women and children’s act which covers different aspects of harassments. Serious punishments and imprisonment have also been envisaged in this law,’ said Fawzia Kofi, who also the head of the parliament human rights commission.

The Minister of Justice, Abdul Basir Anwar, meanwhile, said that the law has been registered in the Justice ministry and that all relevant ministries have been asked to make efforts for its implementation in the country.

At the event, Hekmat Shahi, head of gender issue and human rights at the Interior Ministry said that they would act strongly against those who harass women and children.

“We are committed to implement the anti-harassment of women and children’s act,” he said. “Nobody would be considered as exception and those who commit violence would get punished.”

This comes as the women and children anti-harassment law was approved in three-chapter and 29-articles by the National Assembly last year.