Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs written question – answered at on 11 December 2006.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Afghanistan on tackling violence against women in Afghanistan.
The UK has regular discussions with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and supports the efforts of the EU Special Representative on the implementation of human rights, including women's rights, in Afghanistan. The Afghan Constitution requires the Afghan Government to uphold their obligations under international law. Afghanistan is a party to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which prohibit rape and forced marriage. Challenges remain but we are committed to assist the Afghan Government in the implementation of their international obligations.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), through the Global Opportunities Fund (GOF), is sponsoring a number of projects specifically designed to empower women, by increasing their access to justice, improving their living standards, promoting their equal participation in governance, creating a professional network of women's rights organisations and promoting access to information through the radio. Through the GOF, the FCO supports the UK Bar Human Rights Committee project of human rights training for legal practitioners with a specific focus on women's rights (£240,000 over three years). Other projects include Global Rights: Women's Rights Advocacy in Afghanistan, which will produce a report on violations of women's rights focusing on domestic violence, and a parallel report on CEDAW implementation (£165,000); and Action Aid: Afghan Women Affecting Change, which aims to create a professional network of women's rights organisations (£157,000).
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