UN Says Landmark Afghan Law Failing To Protect Women

December 08, 2013

A UN report has criticized Aghan authorities for poor implementation of a landmark law to protect women.

The report, released by the United Nations Assistance Mission In Afghanistan (UNAMA) on December 8, says that prosecutions and convictions remained low under the 2009 law, which criminalizes child marriage, forced marriage, forced self-immolation, rape, and other violence against women.

Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that implementation of the law has been "slow and uneven."

She said that "Afghan authorities need to do much more to build on the gains made so far in protecting women and girls."

The report said that only seven percent of about 1,670 registered incidents of violence against women in 16 provinces went through a judicial process using the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law.

Based on reporting by AFP and dpa