Increase In Afghan Violence Against Women

An Afghan rights watchdog says there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported cases of violence against women this year compared to 2012.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said in a statement on November 25 -- the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women -- that there have been more than 4,150 reported cases of violence against women in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year.

That is nearly a 25 percent increase over the first half of 2012.

Officials admit that many of the cases of violence against women go unreported.

Nearly 40 percent of the reported cases involved sexual or other physical violence.

Many Afghan women run away from their homes after being victimized and there is also a high rate of self-immolation by women in Afghanistan.