Afghan Women’s Network

photo of afghan girls

Project: Monitoring the Implementation of the Elimination of Violence Against Women Law

Duration: 2011-2014

Location: Kabul, Afghanistan

Partner: Afghan Women’s Network

The Situation

The Elimination of Violence against Women Law (EVAW) was ratified by the parliament of Afghanistan in August 2009. The EVAW law is a major step forward in the legal protection of women’s rights. If fully implemented, the law could significantly help to end most harmful practices. It seeks to eliminate “customs, traditions and practices that cause violence against women contrary to the religion of Islam.” For example, the EVAW law makes it a crime to buy and sell women for marriage, to offer girls as a means of dispute resolution, and criminalizes forced and child marriage.

It was a major achievement to have this law approved, but despite this milestone, Afghan law enforcement authorities are, in many cases, unaware of the EVAW law, or unwilling or unable to apply the law. As such, harmful traditional practices persist to the great detriment of women and girls in Afghanistan.

What Womankind is doing

Womankind has partnered with the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN) in Aghanistan to monitor the implementation of the EVAW law. Specifically, this project will

• produce evidence-based research on law enforcement agencies’ response to violence against women

• sensitise and train law enforcement agencies (police, attorney general, judiciary) on the EVAW law and its provisions.

• increase awareness and lobby for effective implementation of the law with decision makers and law enforcement agencies and

• strengthen AWN’s network by creating an EVAW law monitoring body

What we have achieved so far

This project is starting in November 2011 – please check back in a few months for an update.