Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) on Tuesday said that Afghan women are still grappling with major challenges including domestic violence, multiple forms of discrimination and mistreatment outside their homes.

According to the AIHRC, women in some regions of the country are still denied their basic rights and are treated as commodities.

Although gender equality was one of the key elements of the sustainable development goals, AIHRC says Afghanistan is far from achieving its objective.

Irrational culture, child or early marriages, the lack of educational opportunities for girls and other social limitations are among the key issues currently facing women in Afghanistan.

“We should not use the issue of war and economic weakness as a pretext behind the fragility of women’s situations and the non-implementation of the law,” said AIHRC chairperson Sima Samar.

It is believed that one of the key reasons that has undermined gender equality in Afghanistan is the economic dependency of women on men.

“We shared the report about the goals and objectives of sustainable development with the people and the international community in 2030, we should have to present tangible achievements in women’s rights sphere,” said minister of economy Abdul Sattar Murad.

In 2016, more than 5,500 cases of violence against women were recorded by the AIHRC across the nation, raising alarm among rights groups over the spike in the trend.

“We have not made sufficient gains, women still face gender discrimination and inequality, problems exist in all spheres,” said the Minister of Women’s Affairs Dilbar Nazari.

The AIHRC argues that the efforts made by government towards improving the lives of women and their rights have not been enough.

Equality is a core component of fundamental rights protection. Yet gender inequality persists in today's society, and is often compounded by other forms of discrimination, preventing women from enjoying their full rights, said the AIHRC.