1. By Ehsanollah Bayat

2.  Violence against people who work to advance the
rights of women in Afghanistan has increased
significantly in recent years. Research has also
uncovered a lack of protection from Afghan
authorities. Afghanistan has an extensive legal
framework to protect women and people who
speak up for women’s rights, but these laws
often go unenforced. For example, the Law on
Elimination of Violence against Women passed in
2009, but it has only been enforced sporadically
over the past six years.

3.  Protection for women and their supporters must
come both from the Afghan government and
from foreign aid. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs
has the potential to enforce protection laws, but
its capabilities must be expanded. European
Union countries have recently launched a
promising program that will provide monitoring
and emergency protection for rights defenders.
These types of programs will prove critical for
safeguarding the hard-won advances in women’s
rights during the past decade.