Special attorney office for women being set up

JALALABAD (PAN, a human rights official said on Tuesday.

The move is aimed at dealing with cases related to violence against women in the province, where 200 such incidents were registered over the past 10 months.

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission chief for eastern zone, Dr. Obaidullah Baidar, said the incidents included beatings, divorce, forced marriage and a denial of share in property.

Incidents like expelling women from homes by their husbands had also increased, he said. However, he explained the situation had improved compared to the past. He said women were able to share their problems with the officials concerned.

Baidar said the dropout rate among schoolgirls had decreased and the culture of giving them away as a toll of dispute settlement had been discouraged.

Nangarhar Women’s Affairs Director Anisa Imrani acknowledged violence against women had increased. “It shows such incidents do not go unreported now and that people are becoming aware of their rights.”

Zarghona Naeemi, an official of the NGO called Wadan, said 90 percent of men were responsible for crimes against women. A number of women having obtained medical and engineering degrees were prevented from jobs, she claimed.

Education official, Shehla Babari, linked the increasing incidents of violence against women to a low literacy rate, insecurity, lawlessness, unemployment and economic problems. She accused the government of having failed to provide work opportunities for women.

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p clas”�oo�+)��2e=’margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal’>Aid promises were made at a time when administrative corruption in Afghanistan had reached its peak, Haroon Zarghoon said. Billions of dollars provided in aid had been wasted, he claimed.

The only solution to the imbroglio was the withdrawal of foreigners from the country, he said, suggesting a transitional government be set up and a free and fair election held.

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