(Newser)
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An Afghan militiaman strangled his wife for giving birth to a third daughter instead of a son, according to law enforcement authorities. The 28-year-old victim was killed in her home in the northern province of Kunduz by her husband and his mother just three months after the woman had the baby, reports the Guardian. The victim's mother-in-law has been arrested, but the husband has fled. It's uncertain who will care for the couple's daughters. Two months ago, attackers in the same province poured acid over parents and three children after the parents refused to hand over their young daughter in marriage. The rejected suitor has been arrested.
As the US eyes a 2014 departure from the nation, human rights activists fear the situation for women will only become worse. "The rights of women cannot be relegated to the margins of international affairs, as this issue is at the core of our national security and the security of people everywhere," said a statement from the US embassy in Kabul.
