KABUL - The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence is an international campaign that runs from 25 November, International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women, through 10 December, International Human Rights Day.

This year’s theme is “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World” highlighting the key roles women play in the family and as peacemakers and peacekeepers in war zones. In Afghanistan, support for women’s issues is one of the five priorities of the United Nations agencies and programmes.

Today’s story is authored by UNFPA.

According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Gender Based Violence Training participants at the National Police Academy, eliminating violence against women is a fundamental step toward a peaceful Afghanistan.

“This training is not about violence against women only, it is about how our people disrespect humanity and materialize women. A man’s physical power cannot justify his inhuman acts towards his wife. I am ready to fight gender based violence against women not only as a police man, but also as a human being. It is a responsibility of every Afghan to pass across the message of equality and respect to people,” said Pohandoi Samonwal Sayed Abdul Qayoom Tabish, law professor at the National Police Academy (NPA) in Kabul.

Mr. Tabish is one of the NPA senior officers who participated in the last Gender Based Violence Training organized by UNFPA in cooperation with Ministry of Interior and the National Police Academy. The training provides techniques and procedures to deal with gender base violence when occurs and it is part of the NPA regular educational curricula.

“The training will be provided also to police officer at the provincial level, where there are more cases of violence against women,” said Pohanwal Malpaswal Shah Alam Sapand, Head of the Policy Academy and General Director of Education who also said that “community leaders, religious leaders, the Afghan media and the Afghan families should consider violence against women as a threat to our society and campaign against it.”

Educated women and healthy families are the foundation of a peaceful and progressive Afghanistan.