United Nations has said that violence against women in Afghanistan is widespread and deeply rooted in public life. Launching a campaign to eliminate violence against women in Kabul, Chief UN Human Rights officer in Afghanistan Norah Niland said, violence targeting women and girls is not adequately challenged or condemned by society and institutions. She said that the space for women in public life is shrinking and the trend is negative. The UN official highlighted the scourge of rape saying it is under-reported and concealed. She said shame is quite often attached to rape victims, not perpetrators and victims often find themselves prosecuted for the offence of adultery. Women were banned from public life under the Taliban regime and still struggle for their rights in the war-torn country.Militants often destroy girls' schools and the Afghan Parliament has yet to approve a draft law on violence against women.