More than one-third of women in Afghanistan have experienced gender-based violence, and more than half have witnessed it, according to a new report by the Canada-based Network for Research and Advocacy for Women and Children.
The group said its findings were based on a survey of 600 Afghan women, 36.7 percent of whom reported experiencing violence. An additional 56.4 percent said they had witnessed violence against other women.
Of those surveyed, nearly 78 percent attributed the violence to decrees issued by the Taliban, according to the group’s report, titled The Impact of Taliban Decrees on Women and Girls in Afghanistan, which was presented on June 23 at a meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
The advocacy network said the session, held under the banner “From Commitment to Action: A Global Coalition for Supporting Afghan Women,” took place one day before the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women was scheduled to review Afghanistan’s fourth periodic report.
The research cited several other contributing factors to gender-based violence, including unemployment (50 percent), poverty (49 percent), family conflict (34.3 percent), and harmful traditional practices (32.2 percent).
The report also highlighted reasons for the silence of victims. A lack of legal support was cited by 63.9 percent of respondents, while 49.3 percent pointed to the absence of protection services. Additional concerns included fear of intensified violence (44.7 percent), damage to family reputation (41.3 percent), and a lack of social support (35.9 percent).
The group noted that 94.1 percent of families in Afghanistan reported having at least one member who is currently barred from receiving education, and that 80.8 percent of girls are actively seeking alternative forms of learning.
Support for girls’ education remains high among respondents, with 80.8 percent backing access to schooling for girls. At the same time, 90.2 percent of women reported losing their jobs under Taliban rule.
The group has called on the international community to recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under international law and to support efforts to bring a case against the Taliban before the International Criminal Court.
