Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan, announced that at least four women will be appointed as foreign diplomats, as well as made other promises for appointments of female government officials at varying levels of Afghanistan’s government.
Last week, the Office of the President of Afghanistan tweeted that “at least four women ambassadors will be appointed to represent Afghanistan as top diplomats abroad.” The Office also released a promise to appoint one woman as a member of the High Council of the Supreme Court of Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, in another attempt to increase the participation of women in the political arena, four women were successfully selected as ministers in the cabinet. The news has been welcomed by many and comes as a relief to Afghan women, who previously protested the lack of representation of women in the country’s parliament.
President Ashraf Ghani, and his wife Rula Ghani, have shown a strong commitment to women’s rights, and President Ghani has repeated that women’s rights will not be compromised in any negotiations between the Afghan government and other parties. He has been praised for his work in improving women’s participation in different sectors and for his firm stance on women’s rights.
Women’s rights and activist groups have been meeting with President Ghani and have been influential in uplifting women’s participation in the Afghan government on all levels. Although the current focus is on women in Kabul and diplomatic positions abroad, the President has promised that in the next 100 days of his governance, he will focus on enhancing women’s roles in the provinces. He also shared the news with women’s rights organizations that with the help of international community, 35 women will be sent abroad for leadership training.
Media Resources: Feminist Newswire 4/20/15; 2/4/15; 10/21/14; Office of the President, Afghanistan 5/30/15; Khaama.com 5/31/15;
