KABUL, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan on Sunday joined the rest of the world launching the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, amidst rising incidents of violence against women and children, the country's Ministry of Women's Affairs reported on its website.

The international campaign will last from Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to Dec. 10, the International Human Rights Day.

The Afghan government will intensify its advocacy and awareness-raising activities to addresses violence against women and girls in Afghanistan during the period, the website said.

Marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also called on everyone to respect, promote and protect the rights of women and girls to end violence against women.

"The pervasive, long-term impact of violence against women makes it imperative that everyone in Afghanistan works together, as a national priority, to ensure that more is done to support survivors and hold perpetrators accountable," a UNAMA statement quoted Tadamichi Yamamoto, special UN envoy and head of the UN mission, as saying. 

"Addressing violence against women requires effective investigation and prosecution of reported cases," the special UN envoy said. 

Although women's status has improved in Afghanistan after the ouster of the Taliban regime in late 2001, Afghan women, mostly in the countryside, are still facing variety of problems and violence.