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Rights Activists Call For End To Violence Against Women

Women’s Rights activists and officials have said the ongoing war in Afghanistan has had a profound effect on violence against women in the country.

Faryab officials and activists have said that threats by insurgents and the spread of insecurity in the province has contributed towards the increase in violence against women in the province.

They have said that if peace and stability comes to Afghanistan, the level of violence against women will decrease.

Nangarhar activists and officials have said the same thing – that insecurity has led to a rise in violence against women.

The Nangarhar Women’s Affairs Department said it has seen an increase in this trend.

Attending a meeting on Sunday in Nangarhar, about the problem, delegates discussed the issue of violence against women in the eastern province and in Kunar, Laghman and Nuristan.

They said the high level of violence against women was considerably worrying.

Women's rights activists called on government to help end the problem – not only in the eastern provinces but across the country.

This comes a day after the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start to the global campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Geneder-based Violence.

On Saturday, Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said: “Violence against women in Afghanistan must immediately stop.”

“For Afghan women to achieve their full potential and their immense capacity in development, in peace and in security, the violations of the rights of women and girls, particularly through violence, must cease.”

One in every three women around the world has experienced physical or sexual violence. Gender-based violence is a global issue, affecting millions each year, particularly the most vulnerable, including Afghan women and girls. It is now widely recognized that violence against women, including harassment and harmful practices, is major barrier to women and girls enjoying their fundamental human rights, and is a direct challenge to women’s inclusion and participation in sustaining peace.

“Violence against women and girls is not inevitable,” said Rebecca Tavares, Country Representative ad interim for the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). “There are many ways to prevent violence in the first place, and to stop its recurrence.”

The UN mission in Afghanistan stressed that alongside the effective legal and institutional mechanisms for access to justice, stopping violence against women requires an effort from everyone, from every individual, to speak out against violence in homes, workplaces and social settings.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, marked every year by the United Nations on 25 November, represents that start of the global campaign on 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This year’s 16 Days theme, ‘Leave No One Behind,’ reflects the importance of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which commits to eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.

Rights Activists Call For End To Violence Against Women

Activists and officials have said the increase in insecurity in the country has led to an increase in violence against women and is of serious concern.

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Women’s Rights activists and officials have said the ongoing war in Afghanistan has had a profound effect on violence against women in the country.

Faryab officials and activists have said that threats by insurgents and the spread of insecurity in the province has contributed towards the increase in violence against women in the province.

They have said that if peace and stability comes to Afghanistan, the level of violence against women will decrease.

Nangarhar activists and officials have said the same thing – that insecurity has led to a rise in violence against women.

The Nangarhar Women’s Affairs Department said it has seen an increase in this trend.

Attending a meeting on Sunday in Nangarhar, about the problem, delegates discussed the issue of violence against women in the eastern province and in Kunar, Laghman and Nuristan.

They said the high level of violence against women was considerably worrying.

Women's rights activists called on government to help end the problem – not only in the eastern provinces but across the country.

This comes a day after the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start to the global campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Geneder-based Violence.

On Saturday, Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said: “Violence against women in Afghanistan must immediately stop.”

“For Afghan women to achieve their full potential and their immense capacity in development, in peace and in security, the violations of the rights of women and girls, particularly through violence, must cease.”

One in every three women around the world has experienced physical or sexual violence. Gender-based violence is a global issue, affecting millions each year, particularly the most vulnerable, including Afghan women and girls. It is now widely recognized that violence against women, including harassment and harmful practices, is major barrier to women and girls enjoying their fundamental human rights, and is a direct challenge to women’s inclusion and participation in sustaining peace.

“Violence against women and girls is not inevitable,” said Rebecca Tavares, Country Representative ad interim for the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). “There are many ways to prevent violence in the first place, and to stop its recurrence.”

The UN mission in Afghanistan stressed that alongside the effective legal and institutional mechanisms for access to justice, stopping violence against women requires an effort from everyone, from every individual, to speak out against violence in homes, workplaces and social settings.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, marked every year by the United Nations on 25 November, represents that start of the global campaign on 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. This year’s 16 Days theme, ‘Leave No One Behind,’ reflects the importance of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, which commits to eliminating all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.

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