This year, the rate of violence against women in Kunduz, especially rape of small girls has increased by two times compared to last year.
Expressing concern over this situation, Nadira Gyah, head of the Women’s Affairs in Kunduz told PAN that this year 60 cases of violence, including that of rapes, beatings, coerced marriages and running away from homes due to lack of substantial sustenance; were recorded in the administration.
Gulsha, suffering mother of 11-year-old Sanubar who accuses Malom Zafar (district chief) and Commander Mehmood, a local warlord in Kundoz, for kidnapping her daughter who later was exchanged for a dog in North of Afghanistan. (RAWA photo)
Movie Clip of Gulsha | RAWA report
She added that last year less than 30 cases were recorded and most of them were cases of forced marriage and lack of fulfillment of basic needs, but rape didn’t exist.
Head of the Women’s Affairs expressed her grave worry about the matter in a function held to celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women where tens of women, local authorities, elders and scholars had gathered. She said one reason for this increase was lack of prosecution of such criminals.
Gyah added that the other reason for increase in violence is the security problems in several districts of Kunduz due to which women don’t have access to legal organizations. The administration of Women’s Affairs also can’t reach them due to the same problems.
She asked the security and legal and judicial authorities to take serious steps to lessen violence against women otherwise matters might worsen.
Also, Mohammad Zahir Zafari, head of the Independent Human Rights Commission of the Northeast zone, had told PAN some time back that the culture of amnesty from the government is a reason of increase of violence against women and girls.
According to Zafari, this year ten case of violence including murder and rape have taken place in Kunduz; whereas last year only six such cases had occurred.
But Officer Abdul Razaq Yaqoubi, Security Commander of Kunduz said that the police are taking serious steps against violators and rapists; and the rapists of small girls have been arrested and their cases sent to legal and judicial organizations.
One of these incidents was that of the rape of a small 8-year old girl who was a resident of Fourth District of Kunduz; and the other was the case of a 12-year old girl in the Imam Sahib District (Kunduz), raped by armed men.
Yaqoubi said that five people accused of raping have been arrested.
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was celebrated throughout the country on November 24th.
Authorities of the Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan in the function of this day spoke of her concern of this violence and demanded the punishment and prosecution of rapists.
According to them, this year more than 2000 cases of violence against women, including 77 cases of rape, have been recorded in the Human Rights Commission from all over the country.
According to the information given by this commission, in the past year more than 1800 cases of violence against women and in 2006, 1650 cases of different kinds of brutality against women were recorded throughout the country.
Dr. Suraya Rahim Sabhrang, a women’s rights commissioner responsible for the support and development of women’s rights in the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) also said that criminals responsible for violence against women, especially rape, are punished very mildly by legal and judicial organizations.
But some people who have raped small girls in Takhar, Herat, Nimroz and some other provinces have been sentenced to death by courts.