Afghanistan: Significant Rise in Violence Against Women Cases: MoWA

tolonews.com

Over the past seven months, more than 2,000 cases of violence and sexual abuse against women and girls were registered at the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MoWA), officials said on Tuesday, marking the international day for the elimination of violence against women.

Deputy Minister for MoWA, Muzhgan Mustafawi, expressed deep concerns over the rapid rise in sexual abuse against women and children. She mentioned this year five children, below the ages of ten, suffered sexual abuse.

During the past seven months, 2,224 cases of violence against women and children were recorded with majority documented in Kabul, Herat, Sar-e-Pul, Balkh and Faryab province.

Mustafawi told reporters that the major parts of these cases have taken place in remote areas due to so-called social values and absurd customs.

According to the ministry's statistics, 5,406 cases were registered in 2013, while 4,505 cases were registered in 2012 illustrating a 16 percent increase in violence against women in over a year.

"We are really concerned about the situation because in the recent years these cases have increased tragically," Muzhgan said, adding that the children below 10 years of age have faced the most cases of sexual abuse.

"We want the national unity government to take solid steps in eliminating violence against women," said Rehana Azad, member of the Parliamentary commission on women's affairs. "Most of these efforts have been symbolic so far."

Since the fall of the Taliban regime in 200, the Afghan women have played a vital role in various social spheres with significant presence in the government and non-government institutions. But their rights seem to have not been guaranteed yet, as the women's rights advocates accuse the government of not doing enough to adopt the law on elimination of violence against women.