National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan - The Secretary ...

LEADERSHIP AND
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
1. OVERVIEW
The Government of Afghanistan recognizes that women‘s leadership and participation in all
spheres of life, especially in decision, policy, and law
making, is both a right and an imperative of democratic
governance. Equal participation of women and men
reflects the composition of society and is required for
enabling institutions to effectively meet their obligations
to all citizens, women and men alike. The Government
of Afghanistan believes that the influence of women in
decision, policy, and law making in all institutions will
promote greater understanding of both women and
men‘s perspectives and needs in the nation and state
building processes, as well as help elevate the concerns
of family harmony and household – traditionally under
women‘s purview – to the national agenda. For the good
of all Afghan society, the Government has made
commitments under the Afghanistan Compact and the I-
ANDS to strengthen the voice of women in society and
politics, increase their number in legislature, and assist
political representatives (both women and men) in
addressing women‘s difficulties in taking on economic
and political duties in the public sphere. 36
GOALS
To attain a critical mass of
women in high level decision,
policy and law making
positions in key government
institutions including in the
sectors of judiciary, security,
and service delivery.
To promote an environment
conducive to women’s
entrepreneurship and leadership
in the private sector.
To attain a critical mass of
women active in communities
and in political life.
The Government‘s efforts over the last three years have
lead to strong progress in women‘s participation and
leadership in public life. Women are now active in nearly all fields including commerce,
medicine, higher education, agriculture, politics, law, media, and industry. In governance, the
twenty percent female membership in the Constitutional Loya Jirga has been instrumental to the
inclusion of a number of provisions in the Constitution that specifically target women‘s situation,
including the guarantees of women‘s representation in the Parliament. Recently, Afghanistan‘s
Parliamentary elections have made Afghanistan the country with the 20 th highest representation of
women in legislature in the world 37 . Women have also joined and established civil society
36 Afghanistan National Development Strategy: An Interim Strategy for Security, Governance, Economic
Growth and Poverty Reduction; 2006, Government of Afghanistan: p.16
37 ‗Afghanistan: Election campaigning ends, voter education continues‘; September 2005, UN OCHA IRIN
48