From March 5-7, 60 women participants in the Afghan Women’s Consultation held meetings hosted by the Afghan Women’s Ministry in cooperation with United Nations agencies and the Afghan Interim Authority. Inaugurated by Minister of Women’s Affairs Dr Sima Samar, the talks addressed the need for women’s decision-making roles in security, women’s rights, education, health, political participation, need for representation, protection, governance, economic security, and employment. Dr. Samar stressed the importance of the right to vote for women, and argued that ensuring security includes ensuring that women and girls can life safely and in dignity. The Afghan Women’s Consultation marked the first step in ensuring women’s and girls equality and full participation in the future of Afghanistan.
The Afghan Women’s Consultation will present a series of recommendations for women’s full and equal participation in reconstituting and rebuilding Afghanistan to a gathering of hundreds of women in the capitol city, Kabul, in the first official Afghan celebration of International Women’s Day in 11 years on March 8. Under the theme “Afghan Women Today: Reality and Opportunity,” Minister of Women’s Affiars Dr. Sima Samar, the Chairman of the Interim Authority Hamid Karzai, and UN Secretatry-General’s Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi will address the gathering.
