KABUL - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Wednesday expressed major concerns about the growing violence against women and called on the Afghan government to undertake necessary measures to curb domestic violence against women.

In the meantime, the Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) has said that throughout the current year, 680 cases of violence against women have been registered, up to 500 of which have been referred to the legal and judicial organs.

The UNFPA has declared violence against women in Afghanistan a serious threat and asked the government to combat the menace effectively.

"As you know violence against women is deeply rooted in the culture and construct of the society and dealing with it needs multiple levels of interventions at the community level," UNFPA representative in Afghanistan Wilfred Ochan said.

Moreover, the Japanese government has signed a contract worth $2.2 million with the UNFPA to combat violence against women in Afghan villages.

The Japanese government has tabled some demands in exchange to the financial assistance.

"Close coordination and collaboration among police, prosecutors and the courts and the judges will be increased," Japanese Ambassador to Afghanistan Mayo Maida said.

The UNFPA has also launched capacity-building programs for Afghan policewomen in at least eight provinces of the country. The financial assistance granted by the Japanese government would be spent on villages and districts of another seven provinces where the rates of violence against women are much higher. (Tolonews)