KABUL (SW): The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called for strengthening women’s participation in all aspects of the electoral process in Afghanistan.
At the Global Open Days event in Kabul, a series of nationwide dialogues around women, peace and security, Rebecca Tavares, the Country Representative ad interim for the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), said up to 63 per cent of Afghan women do not have proper identity documents, making it difficult for them to cast vote.
Acknowledging the many constraints faced by women in this regard, she emphasized the need for continued encouragement and support by all actors and stakeholders for women to be active participants in political decision-making, from the local to the national level.
“I encourage the Afghan government to develop and implement gender-sensitive security and elections plans, as these are critical enabling considerations for women’s participation in elections,” said Tavares, who stressed that the protection and promotion of women’s rights to political participation, including in elections, is the primary role of the government.
Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, told delegates in Kabul participating in a final event of this year’s campaign that the women’s participation in elections, both as voters and as candidates, is crucial. The UN envoy, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), added that when women’s participation in elections is fully supported, “Afghanistan benefits from the opportunity of tapping into their immense capacity to contribute to shaping laws and policies that will impact their lives and those of their fellow Afghans.”
Yamamoto stressed that every effort should be made, as well as concrete steps taken, to ensure women’s meaningful participation.
ENDS
