EVAW law: Signature campaign begins

KABUL and Children Organisation (DSAWCO) on Monday launched a campaign to collect a million signatures for the approval of the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law.

Exercising his executive discretion, President Karzai had enacted the law through a decree in 2009. The draft, having four chapters and 44 articles, was placed before the lower house earlier this month to cement it with a parliamentary vote to prevent its reversal by any future president.

The proposed law envisages measures to criminalise child marriage and ban baad, the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes. It also criminalises domestic violence and specifies that rape victims should not face fornication charges.

However, the legislation was withdrawn shortly after being introduced in parliament because of fierce opposition from lawmakers, who said parts of it were in conflict with Islamic teachings.

Launched in front of the parliament building, the campaign would continue over the next six months in Kabul, Parwan, Balkh, Bamyan, Nangarhar, Panjsher and Herat provinces to collect one signatures, DSAWCO Director Zahra Spahr told Pajhwok Afghan News.

After collection the signatures, they would hand them over to President Hamid Karzai, Parliament and Supreme Court, she said, adding the draft law should be passed without any amendments and there should be no compromise on the rights of women.

The draft law, prepared in light of religious scholars’ advice, contained no article that was against Shariah, she insisted. The organisation warned it would launch protests across the country if the law was not approved.

myn/mud

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