The allegation of sexual harassment of women in governmental offices should be investigated as soon as possible.

Afghan Women’s Network

Kabul – Afghanistan

Serial No: 90

18th july,2019

The allegation of sexual harassment of women in governmental offices should be investigated as soon as possible.

Afghan Women's Network as a women's rights organization in Afghanistan, with two decades of struggle for women's rights, are very worried regarding the raised claims and rumors about the persecution of women in government offices and other institutions in the current sensitive situations. And it’s responsible for the finding out the actual truth of raised matter.

The Afghan Women's Network strongly requests crime detection agencies and law enforcement agencies to seriously investigate and reject allegations. It should be noted that the law prohibiting the harassment of women and children. The Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (668 Penal Code of the State) every kind of sexual harassment of women, including (physical, mental, verbal and non-verbal ...) in work, educational and educational centers, and Public places are crime and prohibited and punishable.

At the same time, a number of specific groups are using it as a tool. Unfortunately, this unplanned use of the tools of the public minds and confused families with the education, work and social activities of poor girls and women and caused violence at the level of families and society. On the other hand, claims made about the persecution of women and / or sexual bribery in government offices make the status of active and literates women of the country that is aware of the problems and the status of women in the community as one of the fundamental pillars of progress. And the development of the country has also been questioned.

The Afghan Women's Network suggested the following practical measures from all responsible institutions to handle existing complaints and to prevent the use of this tool by politicians and / or self-interested individuals.

•             We ask the leadership of the National Unity Government to oblige government agencies to implement the Law on the Prevention of Sexual Violence against Women and to make existing claims examined and investigated.

•             We ask all women and girls who are complaining about sexual harassment to complain to the Afghan women's network with full scrutiny, without fear, and to maintain their identity and dignity, and the network is committed to Follow these cases with the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary.

•             We ask the judicial and judicial authorities of the country, for a serious enquiry of claims and complaints made and / or taken without evidence from the mass media. Because such unfounded claims could be a source of confusion for public opinion, it could impose an irreparable blow to the newly established women's position in the country.

•             We ask the Attorney General to create a joint committee consisting of the Commission on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children, the Commission on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the Gender Agencies in Governmental Offices and civil society to investigate such complaints.

•             We urge all government departments leadership to regulate their respective ministries' gender units to act as the competent authority for filing and processing complaints of employees with full jurisdiction and confidentiality.

•             We call on the Government of Afghanistan to discourage all government officials from intervening and gaining access to information on the claims of female sexual harassment. The access of officials and government departments to such information will endanger the trust and life of the victims.

•             Access to information on sexual harassment should be limited to the Joint Committee for the Examination of Claims for Female Sexual Abuse, and the others government authorities should not have the right to intervene and access to information.

•             We request the Ministry of Information and Culture to cooperate in the area of the prevention of the sexual abuse of women and children, the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the provisions of the Penal Code, and the public awareness through mass media.

•             We ask the honorable and brave people of Afghanistan to cooperate in dealing with such cases of sexual harassment of women and children and prevent some opportunists from spreading fury and rumors about the progress of their women and girls.

•             The Afghan Women's Network calls on all politicians in the country to vigorously demand that women not be used as political instruments in their political campaigns, and respect the identity of women who respect the dignity of all Afghans, taking into account the Islamic and Afghan culture.