Officials say over 1400 have been arrested in cases of violence against women during the current Afghan year. However, the cases are pending with Attorney General's office. Deputy Director of Gender and Human Rights Department at Interior Ministry Syed Umar Saboor says separate female units have been established to follow family violence in Kabul and other provinces.

According to him, "The ministry's intelligence organs are secretly operating in villages to curb anti-women violence." Almost half of the cases have been reported in Kabul, in which source of violence has been family issues and quarrels. About 4,000 cases of violence against women have been registered since March 21, compared to 5,000 in the previous Afghan year.

We have a long way to end violence against women which has become part of the harsh ordinary life, particularly in rural parts of the country, where it is rooted in social and cultural traditions. Besides strict implementation of the relevant laws in this regard, the Government and advocacy organizations need to particularly focus generating awareness, which is the only long-term helpful way to fight the primitive practices and mindset.

Only an effective campaign to raise awareness and sensibility among communities can have widespread impact. The Government should rather give importance to education on this through school curriculum to promote a behavior towards social change. Religious scholars should be mobilized.

Violence against women and abuse of their basic human rights is so widespread that a certain level of violent behavior toward women at homes has become part of our corrupt culture and social behavior. It needs a very effective public awareness campaign and strict implementation of EVAW law by the Government.

The Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) Law is rarely implemented across districts except some symbolic cases in provincial centers and the capital. There are traditional and informal mechanisms of justice where they don't give a damn about EVAW.

In such places, even cases of violence against women that include murder (honor killing) and rape are deliberately ignored by local prosecutors or the informal mechanism of deal-making implemented. Even in capital, according to a previous UN report, many cases of serious crimes under the EVAW law were being prosecuted under the Penal Code or Shariah law.

A society is judged by the way it treats its women. Violence against women is linked to many social issues. The Government should make it a national priority and wider programs launched to address the issue.