By Sarah Moorhouse | Project Contributor
Dear Supporters,
Thank you for your continued support of women and children in conflict with the law in Afghanistan. We are delighted to share an update with you.
Women and children in Afghanistan continue to be arrested for crimes which would not be recognised under international standards. This means children are punished for petty crimes that would not lead to an arrest elsewhere. Nationwide, the number of children detained in juvenile detention centres has risen sharply over the past ten years, despite Afghanistan’s 2010 Juvenile Code stating explicitly that the detention of children should be used ‘only as a last resort’. Children and women arrested by the police face harassment, neglectful treatment in police stations and long and difficult periods of imprisonment.
The overall objective of our work is to support vulnerable children and women in conflict with the law in 3 key areas:
We are addressing these issues through the following activities:
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began the restrictions have prevented us from undertaking many of our planned activities. These delays make an already desperate situation even worse. Lockdowns have impacted access to the juvenile rehabilitation centres; educational activities have had to be halted; vital training for social workers and police has been postponed and vocational trainers have not had access to the women’s prison.
However, during these challenging times we have still been able to achieve positive outcomes and continue to support the women and children we work with:
Moving forward as fragile, crisis and conflict-affected countries face challenging choices on how to flatten the curve in their contexts, correctional facilities have emerged as an extreme risk in Afghanistan. Incarcerated females are suffering from separation and isolation as families are prevented or prohibited from meeting them. They remain extremely vulnerable and the threat of COVID-19 as unsafe and unsanitary facilities mean there is a risk of rapid transmission should there be an outbreak. As such it is essential we are able to resume our work which is critical to support women and children, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, to continue to build on our achievements to date.
Thank you again for your support of this crucial work and Street Child!
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