KABUL - In their effort to press Afghan governmental bodies and justice institutions to ensure that the perpetrators of violence against women are penalized in accordance with the law, a group of civil society activists today organized a photo exhibition in the capital, Kabul, displaying images of victims as well as the key clauses of a law that seeks to stem violence against women.

“The aim [of the exhibition] is to make the people think about the phenomenon and gain their general support for the struggle to eliminate violence against women,” said one of the organizers, Zahra Sepehr.

The day-long exhibition, organized under the theme ‘No more violence: we want justice,’ is part of a broader national campaign initiated last year by the Afghan activists, who are also working to collect one million signatures from the Afghan public for a petition on against violence against women.

The organizers said they have collected some 100,000 signatures so far, from eight of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces – Kabul, Parwan, Panjshir, Kapisa, Nangarhar, Balkh, Bamyan and Herat.

“The second phase of the campaign will be implemented in eight more provinces of the country this year,” said Ms. Sepehr.

During today’s exhibition, more names were signed on the petition, for which a large white banner is being.

More than 200 images displayed in today’s exhibition showed the victims of violence, the signature collection process in different parts of the country and key clauses of Afghanistan’s law on the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW).

Violence against women is a challenged faced by many across the country. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), according to a report its released on the issue last month, documented 4,505 cases of violence, which is equivalent to 35 cases for every 100,000 Afghan females. Five provinces – Kabul, Herat, Takhar, Balkh and Kapisa – accounted for 54.5 per cent of all registered cases.

The report found that the most prevalent forms of violence are beating/battery and laceration with 1,826 cases (40.5 per cent); followed by murder with 327 cases (7.3 per cent); abuse, humiliation and intimidation with 242 cases (5.4 per cent); denying food with 242 cases (5.4 per cent); and forced marriage with 230 cases (5.1 per cent). It noted that these five types of violence accounted for 63.7 per cent of all registered cases.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) releases its own report annually on the implementation of the EVAW law.

Its latest report, released last December, found that Afghan authorities registered more cases of violence against women in 2013, but prosecutions and convictions under the law remained low, with most cases settled by mediation.

Enacted in 2009 through a Presidential decree, the EVAW law criminalizes acts of violence against women and harmful practices including child marriage, forced marriage, forced self-immolation, baad (giving away a woman or girl to settle a dispute) and 18 other acts of violence against women including rape and beating. It also specifies punishment for perpetrators.