KABUL (SW) – Abdullah Abdullah, chief executive officer of the National Unity Government, on Wednesday expressed concerns over unmoving participation of women in the forthcoming elections.
Addressing the second ‘Promote Musharikat 2018 National Summit’ here, Abdullah said improved representation of women at the lower level in the government has made their voice heard. He stressed more needs to be done to promote the representation of women at the district level since all issues cannot be resolved at the national level alone.
Addressing the moot, Fauzia Kofi, member of the Wolesi Jirga (lower house) hailed the Promote project by the USAID in providing opportunities for Afghan women and girls. She, however, lamented that the participation of women has not improved from 22 per cent. The MP expressed optimism hope Promote would help improve women participation at lower level in the society.
Estimates suggest only 422 women have filed nomination papers for the 2208 seats of district councils across the country. For the same seats, over 5000 men have filed nomination papers.
Promote is a partnership between the Government of Afghanistan and the United States Agency for International Development to secure the gains made by Afghan women in the past decade while providing a new generation of Afghan women with the leadership skills to make vital contributions to Afghanistan’s development in governance, civil society, and the economy
ENDS
