On Wednesday, Aziza Ahmadi, head of the Shelter for Women (SfW) in Parwan province said that a number of MPs in the province are attempting to shut down the facility, which serves as a safe house for women escaping domestic violence.
Ms. Ahmadi said that MP Zakia Sangin along with another MP who she did not name have threatened to kill her if she does not close down the shelter. She said they do not appreciate the work the shelter does for women in the province.
Just prior to Ms Ahmadi's statements, six women were killed within one week in Parwan. SfW is the only shelter of its kind in the province and maintains care to several women at any given time.
Meanwhile, Abdul Basir Salangi, Governor of Parwan province, assured that he would investigate Ms. Ahmadi's claims and said that no one would be able to shut the shelter down.
"No one has the authority to shut the shelter. The problems that have been reported by the media will be investigated and a solution would be found," said Mr. Salangi.
At the moment, there are several women being sheltered in the SfW as victims of domestic violence. Laila, one of the women, was thrown out of her house by her husband after being physically abused repeatedly. Several girls in the shelter escaped from forced marriages.
Ms. Ahmadi said that women in Parwan are frequent victims of domestic violence, and while the shelter helps some, many who choose to remain silent and keep suffering at the hands of their abusers.
In response to Ms. Ahmadi's allegations, MP Zakia Sangin said that she is against the activities of the shelter and that reforms should be made in order to overhaul its operations.
"Reforms should be made in order to provide a better life for women. But the way SfW is functioning is not right. Proper procedures should be followed," said MP Zakia Sangin.
Women in Parwan province are dealing with violence mostly in the areas where the Taliban have control. Last year, the Taliban shot dead a woman named Najiba in broad daylight.
The fate of the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) Law is still in limbo as it has failed to recieve approving votes in Parliament multiple times, despite organisations such as Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) pressing for its implementation. Experts feel that EVAW Law is one of the strongest hopes for improving the plight of women in Afghanistan.