Many crimes against women go unreported in Badakhshan

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): Human rights officials say they are concerned about women’s rights violations and term insecurity as a major reason behind ongoing violence against the gender in northeastern Badakhshan province.

As many as 29 incidents of violence against women took place this solar year in Badakhshan against 37 cases last year.

This year’s violations include seven cases of discriminate behavior, six cases of alimony denial, 13 incidents of torture involving husbands, one case of broken engagement, one of forced marriage and one divorce.

Statistics with the provincial Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) office show last year’s incidents include 20 females were tortured by family members.

Arifa Navid, AIHRC in-charge in Badakhshan, said incidents of violence against women had declined but it was not a huge difference that one should be happy about.

She said the deteriorated law and order situation did not allow AIHRC teams to reach to most areas to inquire about incidents of violence.

She told Pajhwok Afghan News many incidents of violence against women might have gone unreported because females in Warduj, Kiran wa Manjan, Yamgan, Juram, Raghistan and other remote areas were unable to share their problems with the commission’s provincial office.

This ongoing solar year, three women were shot dead, two by militants and one by their relatives, according to AIHRC.

The commission has strongly condemned the murder incidents and acknowledged its failure to register crimes against women in insecure areas.

According to Pajhwok Afghan News reports, three women have been killed in Shuhada and Warduj districts by Taliban. The insurgents had shot dead Muslima, 38, during an attack on her house at night in Warduj district.

Her daughter Maryam, 20, who wanted to rescue her mother, received bullet injures in firing at her mother by the insurgents.

According to police, both Muslima and Maryam were pregnant when they were killed by the Taliban because Muslima’s husband served in Afghan Local Police (ALP).

In July, Taliban shot dead a policeman and her wife in front of their children in Shuhada district.

The assailants forced their way inside the policeman’s house at night and sprayed them with bullets.

Also this year, a 30-year-old woman was stoned to death by Taliban in Tirgaran district for allegedly having sexual relationship with a man out of marriage.

But Taliban had denied their involvement in the killing of these women and had blamed the murders on personal enmity. However, the government has accused the rebels of the killings.

Family members’ involvement in women murder:

In summer, Gulalai, 18, was shot dead by her uncle after she married her lover in a local court. The murderer then joined the Taliban.

Earlier, AIHRC had said at least 190 women were killed during the first half of the ongoing solar year across the country and most of the killers remained unpunished.

The rights body has registered as many as 2,600 incidents of violence against the gender during the first six months of the year that ends on March 21.

The commission says most of the murderers had managed to escape or could not be punished for their crimes.

The incidents included 900 verbal or psychological abuses, 550 incidents had economic reasons, 186 sexual attacks, 70 physical tortures and the remaining were elopement, divorce, denial of alimony and others.

The AIHRC issued the figures on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Maryam Amwaj, head of Women for Afghan Women (WFAW) said as many as 55 incidents of violence happened this year in Badakhshan.

She said the incidents included elopement and divorce, adding that WFAW had hired lawyers to defend rights of the victims in judicial organs.

She said last year 260 cases were reported compared to 140 cases last year as many incidents could not be registered due to insecurity and lack of access to some areas.

Meanwhile, Zufnoon Hasam Natiq, women’s affairs director for Badakhshan, said more than 100 cases of violence against women had been registered by WFAW and judicial organs.

According to Zufnoon, a large campaign has been launched in Baharak, Urgo, Yaftal Kishim and Khash districts to reduce violence against women.

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