UN urges implementing law protecting Afghan women

The UN has called for implementing the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law in Afghanistan.

"The EVAW law, when it is applied, has provided protection to Afghan women facing violence," Xinhua reported citing Georgette Gagnon, the director of Human Rights of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, during a press conference here.

The law punishes acts of violence against women and harmful practices including child marriage, forced marriage, domestic violence against women and girls, giving away a woman or girl to settle a dispute between two families or tribes, rape and beating.

A UN report on implementation of the EVAW law, obtained from police, prosecutors and the court in 18 Afghan provinces between October 2012 and September 2013, indicates advancement and continuing gap in enforcement of EVAW law in the provinces including Kabul, she said.

It was implemented in 18 of the Afghanistan's 34 provinces.

According to the report, 650 cases of violence had been registered against women over the period with prosecutors using the EVAW law in 109 or 17 percent of the cases and the court applying the law in 60 decisions.

However, in the previous year from October 2011 to September 2012, according to the report, 470 reported incidents of violence against women were registered to which the EVAW law was applied in 72 or 15 percent of cases with courts using the law in 52 decisions.

The EVAW law was enacted by President Hamid Karzai in 2009 to end violence against women and provide protection to them in the strife-torn country.