Violence against Women Primary Database Report - Afghanistan

Violence against women (VAW) is an issue affecting women around the world indiscriminate of their age, social strata, education level or religious affiliation. The situation in Afghanistan may be more distressing as the majority of citizens are not aware of their rights. War contributes towards entrenchment of violence in the society which affects the way women and girls are treated. Economic problems in both conflict and post conflict times further exacerbate the way women are used as barter to survive financially or resolve conflicts. Over the last five years, these findings were gathered from anecdotal evidence; however, policies, legislation and programs aimed at addressing these issues remain scarce and inefficient. Against this background, the VAW primary database was developed as a tool to provide quantitative support to the various anecdotes illustrating violence affecting Afghan women. Furthermore, the gathered information provides a clear understanding of the nature of incidents and profiles of alleged victims and their perpetrators. Gradually, this information will be mainstreamed into the legislation and policies reflecting an intolerance towards violence against women and girls in Afghanistan. After a certain period of time, the database will also be able to monitor the extent and features of VAW cases to identify the impact of programs resulting from informed policies and legislation.

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Contributor: Anuradha Bhattacharjee
Published Date: May 7, 2008