Violence against Afghan women continues after 10 years of 'liberation'

The public murder of a woman in Afghanistan has again highlighted the brutality and primitivism of sectors of that country, but especially the limit of the progress made ​​by the Western occupation since the eviction of the Taliban in 2001. Video broadcast has become even more poignant to match the Tokyo Donor Conference in the U.S. and its allies have linked the future development aid to Kabul improved governance , justice and the rights of women. The shooting occurred in a village in Parwan, barely a hundred kilometers from Kabul. A provincial government spokesman identified the woman as Najiba, 22 and attributed his murder to the Taliban. However, this militia, raised arms against the government in Kabul, has denied any involvement and attributed the incident to a tribal showdown. The only certainty is that whoever is paying the price of ignorance, poverty and power struggles are Afghan women, which in this case, as in many others, is accused of adultery to imbue it with alleged legality. Afghan President Hamid Karzai, described the crime as "heinous and unforgivable" and ordered the immediate search and capture of those responsible, a nice gesture unlikely to yield results. As much as the laws have changed, the Government has neither the capacity nor, according to some observers, the will to implement them. Despite his good words, Karzai continues to rely on former warlords + + and other extremists to maintain power. Hence, human rights organizations and feminists have denounced his intention to make peace with the Taliban, fearful of going back. The parricide committed in Parwan is not an isolated incident, but another of the so-called honor crimes punishable with any sexual transgression by women. Although the authorities have condemned, the problem is that society understands and  accepts that criminalize sex outside marriage ( zina ) or rebellious girls fleeing forced marriages and violence. As revealed a report by Human Rights Watch in March, 400 women and girls were imprisoned for "crimes against morality." After the overthrow of the Taliban regime, the new Afghan Constitution established equality of "all citizens before the law", without differentiating between men and women.Consequently, Afghan women can vote in elections as candidates and serve in any official capacity. The new authorities also abolished the requirement that had to be covered with the burqa (a sort of tent with only a few holes at eye level) to go out. NGOs and human rights activists Since then recognize that there are new laws and amended others to end discrimination. Also set quotas for the participation of Afghan institutions (they have reserved 25% of the seats in Parliament), has improved access to health and education, and has established a Ministry of Women Affairs to projects that help promote their development. However, these advances on the role just been transferred to society in the cities . Many families, especially in rural areas, still limit the freedom and participation in public life of their mothers, wives, daughters and sisters. There are frequent forced marriages (between 60% and 80%, according to the UN), with girls under 16 years (57%), and in some regions are denied basic education to girls, either, considering inappropriate or fear of extremist attacks against girls' schools. The absence of the state in large parts of the country makes it impossible to impose such duties or extend the system of justice, leaving local people thanks to the Taliban or other armed groups. This uncertainty also prevents the access of NGOs working to promote the empowerment of women through health and work. "Human rights are increasingly being undermined by insecurity and lack of respect for the rule of law, a booming drug trade, an ineffective justice system, poor governance, endemic corruption and entrenched poverty," he complained on the eve of the Horia Tokyo Mosadiq appointment, a researcher at Amnesty International. The situation is particularly poignant in the case of women, whose starting point is far below the national average in all indicators (87% are illiterate compared to 57% of men, and their life expectancy does not exceed 51 years). But the worst is violence. In a country that has chained war for four decades, is a scourge institutionalized. According to Oxfam, 87% of Afghan women report having suffered physical, sexual or psychological, or be victims of forced marriage.