United Nations-backed radio broadcasts, television debates and theatre performances focused on the critical importance of protecting Afghan women and girls from violence.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW), commemorated annually on 25 November, marked the beginning of ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence,’ a UN information campaign designed to link violence against women with human rights issues, with awareness-raising activities leading up to Human Rights Day on 10 December.

The radio and television broadcasts across the country, facilitated by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), involved scholars, university students, religious leaders, government officials and civil society members, and covered a broad spectrum of opinions on how best to end violence against Afghan women and girls.

Topics highlighted in the radio and television broadcasts, and at various events that have taken place in 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, included education as a way to raise greater awareness about violence against women, judicial mechanisms to redress victims of violence appropriately, and ways to increase participation of women in Afghanistan’s political and peace processes.

“To reduce and eliminate violence against women, I request religious leaders and community elders to raise awareness among ordinary people, particularly young people, about women’s human rights,” said a civil society activist, Nooria Hameedi, during a discussion in the northeastern province of Baghlan.

At a similar roundtable in the eastern province of Nuristan, the Governor of Nurgram district, Niamatullah Muslim, said women and girls need greater access to justice. He called on the Government to encourage girls to study and urged community elders to refer cases of violence against women to the appropriate judicial organs.

According to a joint UN news release, violence against women and girls in Afghanistan remains endemic, and constitutes a violation of human rights, impeding women’s full realization of their civil, political, social, cultural, economic and development potential.

“Afghan women and girls must be able to fully enjoy their freedom and contribute to the building of the nation,” said the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Nicholas Haysom, who is also head of UNAMA. “There should be no place in Afghanistan for violence and discrimination against women and girls, and every effort is needed to end the impunity for such violent crimes.”

In the joint news release, the UN Women Country Representative in Afghanistan, Elzira Sagynbaeva, said that more than 80 per cent of women in Afghanistan face violence in their lifetime.

“We need to strengthen implementation of EVAW law,” said Ms. Sagynbaeva. “We also need to place more focus on preventing violence against women and girls, which requires the engagement of all segments of society, and especially men and boys as partners in gender equality and respectful relationships.”

In the interest of helping to address this issue, radio stations and television channels across Afghanistan scheduled repeat broadcasts of the roundtable discussions.