New report shows rising levels of violence against women

Women and girls in Afghanistan continue to face high levels of physical, psychological, economic and sexual violence, according to a new report by the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.

The report – released in advance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – said there were 2,762 cases of violence against women registered with the Commission in the first seven months of the year.

This is a rise of 8.2% in the number of complaints (2,536) received in the first seven months of the previous year.

The Commission also reported rises in the number of complaints related to:

• Psychological and verbal violence (1,041 complaints, up from 900)
• Physical violence (861 complaints, up from 820)
• Economic violence (485 incidents up from 377).

The Commission also recorded 123 complaints of sexual violence, which was broadly equivalent to the number of complaints (128) recorded in the first seven months of the previous year.

In addition, the report detailed 252 other incidents of violence, such as expulsion from home, forced marriages and early marriages, including deprivation of the right to choose a spouse

Of the 2,762 complaints recorded in the seven-month period, nearly all (97.1%) occurred in the home environment.

"Despite the continued efforts of the AIHRC and other institutions active in the area for over a decade and a half, violence against women continues to claim victims," the report noted.

The report sets out ten key recommendations to strengthen the position of women in Afghanistan and to provide safe, accessible and effective mechanisms to address complaints of violence and discrimination.

The report is available on the Commission's website: https://www.aihrc.org.af/home/research_report/8670

Date: 24 November 2019

Source: Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission