UN Says Brutality Against Afghan Women 'Intolerable'

A video of a young woman's public execution in Afghanistan sparked worldwide outrage.

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with advancing gender equality has condemned recent violence against women in Afghanistan and stressed the need to protect their rights.

Michelle Bachelet, executive director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), said in a statement that recent weeks have witnessed cases of "extreme abuse and appalling violence against women."

They include the torture and rape of a young woman by Afghan police and the public execution of a young woman, reportedly by the Taliban.

Bachelet said such brutality is "intolerable" and called on the Afghan government to bring the perpetrators to justice, put an end to a culture of impunity, and create a culture of zero tolerance of violence and discrimination against women.