Position Paper Topic A

School: Colegio Ingles

Delegate: Fernanda Lozano

Committee: ECOSOC

Country: Afghanistan

Topic: Strengthening crime prevention and criminal justice responses to violence against women

            Violence against women and girls is one of the major problems worldwide. It is defined as any act of violence towards women that results in physical, sexual or psychological harm of suffering to women, including threats of such acts, and persuade deprivation of liberty. Globally about six of every ten women experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. The World Bank study on ten said that these problems or risk factors that girls and women are facing are more dangerous than cancer, motor vehicle accidents, war and malaria. Intimate partner violence and sexual violence can lead to unintended pregnancies, gynecological problems, abortion, and sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV. These forms of violence also cause depression; insomnia, eating disorders, and emotional distress with are lead to suicide attempts. Some of the causes of these problems are being a victim of violence, low education, witnessing child maltreatment and parental violence, and harmful use of alcohol and drugs. The UN secretary general in 2006 said that 89 countries have some legislation on domestic violence and more countries had taken action. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women or CEDAW also described as the international bill of women’s rights, has taken action to stop violence against women. The UN women also help with the development of national human rights frameworks, with CEDAW, such as constitutions, laws and polices. Also the Beijing Platform for Action, is helping in the united nations with the equality of men and women, and specially women’s rights. The crime consequences to this problem deeply depend on the constitution or law of each country.

In Afghanistan violence against women is and has been one of the major problems for a long time, we don’t know when this started. Since the Taliban by U.S.-led forces in 2001 the promotion of women’s rights have been attached to military intervention. Many commentators have suggested for the military to do the necessary to safeguard women’s gains, but many people in Afghanistan specially women believe that it will be impossible for girls and women to consolidate their gains, and heal not only physically but also emotionally in a militarized environment. The violence against women, and the climate of insecurity makes afghan women and girls feel powerless, especially those who have experienced violence in their witness, or that have been widowed, displaced, trafficked and forced into marriages, as a direct or indirect result of the conflict. In Afghanistan there are organizations such as NGO’s Women for Afghan Women, they provide shelter and food to women who are forced to flee their homes and families due to violence acts. Afghan criminal law outlines does act to these problem, however they are rarely prosecuted or punished, in fact due to women being treated as property, they often are punished instead of the perpetrator. In Afghanistan the creation of the Violence Against Women Unit (VAW) within the Attorney General’s Office of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan really helped in the seeking for justice to women victims of violence, however the problem still surrounds Afghanistan.

Some solutions may be to talk to different countries for them to implement criminal laws and procedure. Also really sentencing and punishing the perpetrator, and implement victim support and assistance, by health and social services, since types of violence against women like rape can bring sexual transmitted diseases. This will be done by an international meeting, and convincing them will not be a problem since this is an international problem, also have prevention measures, school-based programs for adolescents to prevent violent relationships. This is one of the best evidence for effectiveness for intimate partner violence. Also conferences for families, to prevent violence within family and children maltreatment, because this is one of the main causes for violent actions in the future. Be sure that women have equal protection under the law and access to justice as any citizen. Implement centers where victims can recover in a good way, not only physical but also physiologically.