PAN, March 10, 2013

Sharp increase in violence against women

Meanwhile, human rights officials said incidents of violence against women had increased by 55 percent in central Uruzgan province

By Mahbob Shah Mahbob

Violence against women has dramatically increased in eastern provinces, where 220 cases were registered since the start of this year, compared to 40 incidents during the same period in 2012, officials said on Sunday.

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC)'s women wing head for eastern provinces, Sabrina, told a gathering marking the international women's day, there were a total of 170 incidents of violence against women in eastern provinces last year.

She said some of the cases had been resolved and others still in progress, adding the commission and women's affairs departments were gravely concerned about increasing deaths of women in violence.

Manizha, a 20-year old woman, who was beaten and tortured by her husband and his family. She was kept in a dark basement and forced to work in the cold. She said, “They punched and kicked me on my face. They tied my hands with a rope and beat me with chains, sticks and a whip. I spent days and weeks in the basement of the house with my hands and feet tied up. They forced me to work in the cold and snow.” (Photo: RAWA.org)

She said 38 women were murdered in eastern Afghanistan this Afghan calendar year that ends March 21. "Statistics show Nangarhar leads in violations of women's rights followed by Laghman, Kunar and Nuristan," the rights activist said.

Nangarhar Women Affairs Director Anisa Imrani said the number of cases registered with her department stood at 100 last year and only seven of them remained unresolved. She acknowledged the ratio of mysterious deaths of women had increased.

Meanwhile, human rights officials said incidents of violence against women had increased by 55 percent in central Uruzgan province.

AIHRC chief for Uruzgan Abdul Ghaffar Stanikzai said that 174 cases of violence against women were registered this Afghan year, compared to 84 a year ago.

The official said a total of 4000 cases of violence against the gender took place during the year, blaming the increasing violence on incompetency of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.

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