HRW presents evidence of violence against Afghan female athletes to UN

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday submitted a report on violence against Afghan women to the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Afghanistan International reported today.

According to the article, the report also highlights violence against women in Mali and Haiti, exploitation of children in sports in Japan, and gender testing of women athletes.

HRW’s documentation focuses on the deprivation of women’s access to sports in Afghanistan, where female athletes have been forced into hiding, and compelled to destroy evidence regarding their sporting activities.

It mentions that female athletes in exile are seeking to compete in international competitions as representatives of their nation in protest against the prohibition on women’s sports participation in Afghanistan’s international competitions.

HRW is calling for sanctions against the Afghanistan Olympic Committee for its refusal to allow women’s sports participation, the news agency added.

The report also highlights the sexual harassment of female athletes by the former head of the Afghanistan Football Federation, Keramuddin Karim, and that no legal action has been taken by the Taliban to address the issue to date.