Violence against women is a shame, says President Ghani

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AT-KABUL: While observing the International Day for the Elimination Violence against Women, President Ashraf Ghani said that violence against women is a crime, and will not be tolerated at any level.

“While growing up in pre-war Afghanistan, violence against women was an unknown phenomenon to us. Unfortunately, it has become a maniac to haunt our women over the past 40 years of conflict,” said President Ghani.

President Ghani said that a majority of women who are in need of help from law enforcement and prosecutors are in provinces, not Kabul. So in order to incentivize recruitment of more female prosecutors and attorneys in provinces, President Ghani pledged 30 percent extra pay if women choose to work in provinces.

He also announced awarding State Medal of Malalai to Seena Shina Mansoor, Deputy Attorney General for Elimination of Violence against Women, and State Medal of Sayyid Jamaludin Afghan to Attorney General, Farid Hamidi, for his efforts to eradicate violence against women through prosecution and law enforcement, and taking measures to increase women’s presence at Attorney General’s Office. Two years ago, female staff consisted only 3 percent of Attorney General’s Office and provincial offices, this year it has risen to 20 percent. Furthermore, Attorney General’s Office investigated over 10,000 cases of violence against women, and ensured increased access of women to justice.

While insisting on women’s further presence at in the government, he said that the government is committed to close the gender gap in the government. In a first, President Ghani announced appointment of a female Deputy Minister for Policy at Ministry of Interior.

At the end, he reiterated that the government is taking the sexual abuse allegations in Afghan Football Federation seriously.

“We will not tolerate any kind of sexual offense against our women,” he said.