Updated

Afghan women are increasingly the victims of violence, including rapes and acid-throwing attacks at the hands of anti-government elements and local chieftains, according to new U.N. report.

The situation is further aggravated by impunity for perpetrators and the failure of authorities to protect woman's rights, the report states.

The U.N.'s High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said the opportunities that opened for Afghan woman after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 are under sustained attack, not only from the Taliban but also due to deeply ingrained cultural practices.

Afghan women are also increasingly victims of so-called "honor" killings, trafficking, forced marriages, and domestic violence, according to the report issued Wednesday.