International Development Law Organization

Afghanistan’s Violence Against Women Units

Reducing violence against Afghan women and girls has been one of our priority areas of intervention. Although the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (LEVAW) has been stuck in the Afghan parliament for years, the Attorney General’s Office in 2009 used the law's framework to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with IDLO. The aim was to support the creation of a specialized unit that would prosecute cases of gender violence.

The first such unit was established in March 2010 in Kabul, with a second one following in Herat a year later. IDLO has since supported the opening of further EVAW Units in the provinces of Badakhshan, Balkh, Bamyan, Kapisa, Nangarhar and Parwan. As of early 2014, more than 4,000 cases had been registered across the country.

The EVAW units abide by Afghan laws and Sharia principles to combat gender crimes and injustices including rape, forced marriage, underage marriage, domestic violence and self-immolation.

Status: 
Completed
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