WUNRN
Afghanistan - Major Election
Challenges Ahead for Women Voters
08 November
2012 -
Afghan women will face
major challenges in the upcoming presidential election because of the
"inappropriate" traditions and insecurity, the Free and Fair Election
Foundation of
FEFA executive director Jandad Spinghar said in an advisory
meeting with the Afghan MPs that unfair propaganda against women also prevented
them nominating themselves for upcoming elections. He urged the Ministry of
Women's Affairs to provide opportunities for women to participate in the
upcoming elections.
"The main challenges for women are insecurity and
the inappropriate traditions and culture. Some people are doing unfair
propaganda against women which is a big blow for women from being nominated in
the elections," he said at the gathering organised to discuss ways to
increase women's participation in the upcoming elections.
"We are trying to launch a strategy in
consultation with the Afghan MPs and we hope the Ministry of Women's Affairs
supports this," FEFA's women department chief Marzia Faraz said at the
gathering.
The MPs present at the gathering welcomed FEFA's
efforts and called for the government to help establish and implement this
strategy.
"Having a clear strategy for women to participate
in the election will be very good," Kabul MP Shukria Barekzai said.
"Negotiations are needed on how women can
participate in this election," Kabul MP Farkhuda Zahra Naderi said.
Other participants, including the Afghan Women Network
chief Frozan Mashal also voiced their support for the strategy.
"As a representative of Civil Society
Organization, I support the strategy," She said.
With the election less than 16 months away, concerns
over insecurity, lack of demographic data, use of old election cards and
several other obstacles also remain to be addressed before the April 5 poll.
President Hamid Karzai's opposition to two foreign
commissioners on the board of the Election Complaints Commission is also a
major hurdle which is yet to be resolved, MPs said.