Eliminating violence against women through awareness, cultural change, and legal protection

Official Message on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Keypoints:

• Condolences & Recognition: Acknowledging victims and challenges.
• Violence Causes: Extremism, conflict, poverty, illiteracy, and harmful traditions.
• Cultural Change: Promote respect for women as a societal value.
• Education & Awareness: Raise public knowledge to prevent violence.
• Legal Protection: Enforce laws to safeguard women.
• Government & Civil Society: Joint efforts to eliminate gender-based violence.
• Global & Religious Principles: Violence against women contradicts Islam and human dignity.

I am pleased that the Ministry of Women's Affairs and various women's rights advocacy organizations are commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and that the 16-day nationwide campaign to reduce violence against women is being announced.

The Roots of Violence

Violence against women is a phenomenon rooted in fossilized thinking (tahajur) and prejudice. The struggle against violence toward women is a global imperative that requires the collective building of a new culture.

Post-conflict countries, more than modern societies, suffer from the monster of violence against women. In Afghanistan, the prolonged conflicts of recent decades have increased the potential for violence, and the following factors have contributed to the growth of this ominous phenomenon:

• Lack of economic welfare and poverty.
• Unemployment and illiteracy.
• Addiction and the absence of healthy recreational outlets.
• The existence of extremist ideologies held by groups opposing the Afghan government, causing women to face escalating violence and even being killed in extrajudicial "desert courts."

Progress and Persistent Challenges

Over the past decade, extensive efforts have been made by the Afghan government and women's rights organizations to cultivate a culture aimed at the elimination of violence. To a great extent, the rights and respect for women—as half of the body of our society—have been institutionalized.

However, we still have a long road ahead toward complete success. Incidents of stoning and flogging young girls in Ghor and elsewhere are overt examples of the persistence of violence against women in our country. The culture of respecting mothers, sisters, and the honor (namus) of the family—as explicitly stated in the Sacred Sharia of Islam and our religious teachings—must be institutionalized within the behavioral patterns of our society.

The State’s Commitment to Reform

The government of Afghanistan is committed to working alongside women's rights activists to raise public awareness more than ever before. In accordance with the laws of the country, we remain committed to guaranteeing the protection of women against violence.

I call upon legal authorities, cultural centers, and women’s rights organizations to:

• Utilize appropriate educational and value-based strategies.
• Make respect for women's rights a fundamental culture of collective life in the minds of every individual.
• Recognize that if we do not revive the culture of respect, we cannot destroy violence through force or wealth.

Closing Appreciation

Once again, I express my appreciation to the Ministry of Women's Affairs and their partner organizations for holding these ceremonies. I wish for the continued success of all our sisters and mothers in their lives, and I pray to the Great and Almighty God for their vitality and happiness.