IPU has welcomed the decision by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to re-draft a bill passed by the parliament that would have otherwise had a detrimental impact on women victims of violence.
The bill, passed by parliament on January 19 and sent to President Karzai for signing into law, would have prevented judicial authorities from questioning the relatives of a criminal defendant in a case involving violence against women and girls. This would have made prosecutions highly difficult.
Most violence against women in Afghanistan occurs within the family and if the bill as it stood had become law, it would have denied protection to victims by silencing those who witness their abuse.
IPU is encouraged by reports from the President’s office that no law would prevent witnesses from testifying against family members and looks forward to a revised bill that would instead strengthen measures to protect women and girls from violence.
Last week, IPU had called on President Karzai to reject the bill until it was revised in line with the ground-breaking Law on Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) passed in 2009.
The Organization is urging Afghanistan to ensure all efforts to end violence against women are implemented fully.
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