As many as 11 women have been executed by the Taliban in the Shinwari district of northern Parwan province since the start of the year, provincial Women Affairs director Shah Jan Yazdan Parast said Saturday.As scores of women marched against violence in the scenic provincial capital Charikar on Saturday, Yazdan Parast pointed out that the amateur video of a woman being shot to death in Parwan about a fortnight ago was not an isolated incident with at least 11 others similarly executed this year.
"Since the start of this year, we've recorded more than 70 cases of violence against women, including eleven women being executed by gunnies in the Hiro valley of Shinwari district," Yazdan Parast said. "The media only released the execution of one woman."
Women residents of Parwan marched with banners to protest violence against women, highlighted by the recent public shooting of the 22-year-old known as Najiba, accused of adultery by a Taliban drumhead court in the Shinwari district. She was executed immediately following the verdict.
The execution received global attention and widespread condemnation after the amateur video was released to the media, but the women said more needed to be done.
Protesters called for Afghan security force to launch more operations in the areas controlled by the Taliban in order to enforce government laws and protect the people, particularly the women, in those areas.
"We are protesting the killing of women by unknown gunnies - most of the women in the areas under the control of Taliban are facing violence. We urge the government and the civil society activists to prevent violence and call on security force to clear those areas from Taliban control," head of Parwan civil society network Katol Faqir Zada said at the protest.
A policewomen who was among the protesters blamed the officials responsible in the areas for not taking violence against women seriously.
"We protest because women are facing violence," she said. "Those who commit this violence should be tossed in the calaboose
Book 'im, Mahmoud!
and prosecuted. None of the responsible organs have respected women rights so far."