11 Dec 2012

AFGHANISTAN / WOMEN

In a report released today, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says that, despite some progress, the application of a landmark law on violence against women is being hampered by dramatic underreporting and a lack of investigations into most incidents. UNAMA

Posted at: December 11, 2012 5:42 pm

Duration: 01:52

Available in: SD

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STORY: AFGHANISTAN / WOMEN
TRT: 1.52
SOURCE: UNAMA
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
 
DATELINE: 11 DECEMBER 2012, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

SHOTLIST:

11 DECEMBER 2012, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

2. Wide shot, press conference
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Nicholas Haysom, Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Afghanistan:
"Just yesterday the acting head of the Department of Women's Affairs in Laghman province, Najia Seddiqi, was gunned down. It should be noted that the previous head of the Laghman Department of Women's Affairs was assassinated in July 2012, targeted specifically for her high profile advocacy on issues of violence against women and promoting women's rights. UNAMA extends its condolences to the family of Najia Seddiqi and condemns such unconscionable targeting of civilians."
4. Med shot, audience
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Georgette Gagnon, Human Rights Director, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA):
"Although prosecutors and courts were increasingly applying the law, in a growing number of reported incidents of violence against women, the overall use of the law remained low indicating there is still a long way to go for women and girls in Afghanistan to be protected from violence through this law."
6. Wide shot, audience
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Georgette Gagnon, Human Rights Director, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA):
"We are calling on the Afghan authorities to take of course much greater steps to both facilitate reporting of incidents of violence against women and actually open investigations and take on prosecutions."
8. Med shot, audience
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Selay Ghafar, Women rights and Human Rights Activist:
"The Afghan women will not be sitting or keeping silence on all these crimes happening. You are all responsible for protection of Afghan women, because you came here to protect Afghan women and Afghan people."
10. Close up, cameras

STORYLINE:

In a report released today (11 December), the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says that, despite some progress, the application of a landmark law on violence against women is being hampered by dramatic underreporting and a lack of investigations into most incidents.

Enacted in August 2009, the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law criminalises child marriage, forced marriage, selling and buying women for the purpose or under the pretext of marriage, ba'ad (giving away a woman or girl to settle a dispute), forced self-immolation and 17 other acts of violence against women including rape and beating. It also specifies punishment for perpetrators.

The 42-page report, which covered 22 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces with detailed information on application of the EVAW law from 16 of the provinces, found an increase in the number of incidents registered by police and prosecutors compared with UNAMA's findings in November 2011.

Speaking at a press conference in Kabul today, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Nicholas Haysom said women and children, especially girls, had suffered disproportionately from the armed conflict making them particularly vulnerable to violence in all its forms including harmful practices.

He noted that on Monday (10 December), the head of Laghman province's Department of Women's Affairs in Laghman province, Najia Seddiqi was gunned down, five months after her predecessor was also killed. Haysom extended UNAMA's condolences to Seddiqi's family and condemned "such unconscionable targeting of civilians".

UNAMA Human Rights Director Georgette Gagnon told to reporters that the overall use of the EVAW law remained low, and there was still a long way to go for women and girls in Afghanistan to be protected from violence.

Gagnon linked the underreporting of cases of violence against women to "cultural restraints, social norms and taboos, customary practices and religious beliefs, discrimination against women". Prevailing insecurity and weak rule of law have further hampered women's access to formal justice institutions" she said.

She said UNAMA was calling on the Afghan authorities to take greater steps to facilitate reporting of incidents, open investigations and take on prosecutions.

Of the 470 reported cases of violence against women, prosecutors filed indictments in 163 cases of which resulted in conviction at trial in 100 cases with a 61 per cent success rate.

Afghan women's rights activist, Selay Ghafa told the same press conference that acts of violence against women in Afghanistan were actually "crimes against women". She said that in addition to the Afghan authorities, the UN and the international community should also take on more responsibility for protecting women "because you came here to protect Afghan women and Afghan people".

The report 'Still a Long Way to Go: Implementation of the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women in Afghanistan' includes 29 recommendations to the Government of Afghanistan and its international partners, urging them to ensure that protection of women's rights are an integral part of peace and reconciliation efforts and the country's political, economic and security strategies.

The release of the report was timed to mark the International Human Rights Day (10 December), which also marks the end of a 16-day global campaign against violence against women.