A/HRC/34/41 VII. Violence against women and promotion of women’s rights 43. The Government continued its efforts to address violence against women and girls. On 31 January 2016, the President inaugurated a fund specifically for sponsoring emergency services, such as medical treatment and temporary accommodation, for women survivors of life-threatening acts of violence. Increased funding is critical to ensuring that the fund can offer appropriate support to all those in need. On 11 June, the Government approved the 2016-2020 strategy and action plan on the elimination of violence against women, which, at the time of writing, were yet to be disseminated. 44. The prevalence of violence against women and harmful practices remained of serious concern. From January to November 2016, UNAMA/OHCHR documented 10 punishments that were handed down by a parallel justice system run by anti-government elements to women accused of so-called moral crimes (such as sexual intercourse outside of marriage and prostitution). The judgments resulted in the execution of four women and the lashing of five women, in several provinces. In addition, attempts by anti-government elements to implement a sentence of stoning against a woman in Takhar Province in June were averted following a negotiation by elders. The imposition of the death sentence and corporal punishment on women and girls for perceived moral offences mostly took place in areas under Taliban control or influence. Such practices violate the Constitution, constitute criminal acts under domestic law and amount to human rights abuses. 45. From January to November 2016, UNAMA/OHCHR documented 605 alleged cases of violence against women, including murders, forced immolation, honour killings, rapes, battery and laceration, and forced marriages. In 118 of those cases, the victims were minors. While the majority of cases were still pending, at least 86 cases, mostly involving battery and laceration, had been the subject of mediation by the competent institutions (57), traditional justice mechanisms (21) or non-governmental organizations (8), in accordance with article 39 of the 2009 law on the elimination of violence against women. Focus group discussions carried out by UNAMA at the grass-roots level with 686 women and 126 mediators on their experiences of mediating cases of violence revealed the need to standardize the approach and oversight mechanisms to ensure the protection of the rights of women survivors. 46. UNAMA/OHCHR continued to advocate for prevention and response efforts to be based on human rights. However, law enforcement officials admitted to UNAMA/OHCHR that they were unable to investigate incidents of violence against women and to apprehend alleged perpetrators in areas under the control of anti-government elements. As a result, the conflict has contributed to a culture of impunity whereby victims are denied the right to effective remedies, including gender-sensitive reparations. The situation has further eroded the already weak public trust in the ability of the authorities to enforce the rule of law, particularly with respect to acts of violence against women. 47. The Government continued its work on revising the Penal Code with the aim of submitting the entire revised law to the National Assembly by December 2016. UNAMA/OHCHR worked closely with the United Nations and civil society in advocating for the integration of international human rights norms into efforts aimed at increasing the protection of women from violence. 48. Despite some progress, women continued to face severe obstacles in participating in political, economic and social life owing to several factors, such as widespread violence, explicit restrictions imposed by anti-government elements and the existence of deep-rooted discriminatory social norms that discourage women from exercising their rights. Those social barriers deter women from taking jobs entailing close interaction with men. Threats and attacks targeting women in prominent positions continued in 2016. Among other 10