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Violence against women linked to addiction

Violence against women linked to addiction

author avatar
22 Jun 2014 - 15:26
Violence against women linked to addiction
author avatar
22 Jun 2014 - 15:26

ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Incidents of violence against women have recently increased in southwestern Nimroz province, officials said on Sunday.

Twenty cases of violence against women were registered in May alone, the highest number in one month over the last 12 years, said the women’s affairs director.

Amina Hakimi said women and men should not be treated differently because both had equal rights. She added most violent incidents involved drug-addicted husbands.

If provided with employment opportunities, she said, women could help their addicted husbands get treatment at rehabilitation centres.

“In this way, the growing acts of women’s rights violations will be curtailed.”

The women’s affairs director said her department lacked the ability to generate job opportunities for females, urging non-governmental organisations to come forward and play their role in this regard.

Employment opportunities would help women resolve their financial problems and treat their drug addicted spouses.

Nasima, a victim of domestic violence, said her husband visited her after five years to take away their children from her. “My husband earns more than 35,000 afghanis a month, but has been refusing to pay for alimony.”

A 14-year-old boy, Mahmood, a resident of Zaranj City, said his drug-addict father killed his mother by strangulation. His father, Abdal, has been arrested by police.

The director said Mahmood’s mother had lodged a complaint with her department, accusing her spouse of torturing her.

Despite being warned of legal action, Abdal continued to torture his wife and finally killed her. He is currently languishing in jail and his four children live without a guardian.

On the other hand, women’s rights head at the department Shima Mohammadi said they had registered 50 cases of violence against women this year so far.

“We are trying to solve the problems between couples through our department and if we fail to do so, then the case is referred to court,” she said.

Last year, a man brutally killed his wife by throwing boiling water on her head before hanging her to death in Nimroz.

About three months ago, two women and a man — all addicted to drugs — were killed by their relatives when they were busy taking drugs in Zaranj.

Sometimes making more demands on husbands ended up in violence against wives.

An influential figure in Zaranj Mohiuddin said some women demanded precious and expensive cloths, food and other things from their husbands regardless of their economic situation.

He urged the people to give women their rights as enshrined in Islam, saying the authorities concerned should make efforts at creating awareness among people about women’s rights.

The women’s affairs director Amina Hakim said they had executed several public awareness programmes in villages and rural areas to eliminate violence against women.

She added imams or prayer leaders could play an effective role in creating awareness among the people and eliminating violence against women.

Prayer leader Maulvi Salahuddin said he always stressed end to violence against women during his Fridays’ sermons.

“Violence against women is against Islamic rules. Muslims are even encouraged to be kind to animals and forbidden to hurt them and other humans especially women,” he said.

Afghan and international organisations have always expressed concern about increasing violence against women in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) commissioner Thuraya Subhrang said violence against women had drastically increased in the country.

She added violence against women increased from a small scale a decade ago to more than 6,600 cases in 2013, up by 24 percent a year ago.

Mutilating nose and lips of a woman in Herat could be cited one of the worst and atrocious form of violence against women.

A woman had her mouth slit in Baghlan province in another example of terrifying violence against women.

nh/mds/ma

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