The Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoIA) announced this week that it has recruited 13,000 women to work on security procedures at polling centers for the upcoming April 5 presidential election day. There was some concern last summer that there would not be enough women security officers to work at the polling stations set aside for women, but the government has now surpassed its recruitment goal. Female security guards at polling centers will ensure more women can vote.
The MoIA has made election day security a top priority, and the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) has been overseeing election activities to ensure they are conducted in compliance with the laws and that voter confidentiality is protected.
The IEC has also been working to advance Afghan women’s participation in the electoral process through the establishment of a Gender Unit in 2009, targeted public education directed at women voters, the use of female polling staff and observers, and the development of appropriate security measures. The IEC reports that about one-third of registered voters are women and women’s rights have been a focusocus in recent debates between the nine candidates.