Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Support Boosted for Women in Govt.

Support  Boosted for Women in Govt.

KABUL – Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) vows to further women's participation in state decisions by setting up a resource centre for female officials. UN Women is aiding the Wolesi Jirga in its pledge to set up a resource centre for female parliamentarians, which is set to open in Kabul later this month.
Currently, women represent almost 28% of Wolesi Jirga. This is nine percent higher than the world's average of women in parliament.

A similar resource centre in Share-e-Naw, a Kabul suburb, was set up by UN Women (then named UNIFEM) in 2006. This provided the motivation for the current establishment of the centre on government premises. The change in location is hoped to facilitate easier access for female politicians.

The Resource Centre for Women Parliamentarians (RCWP) aims to improve institutional and technical knowledge, as well as public communication skills, of elected females to ensure they are best equipped to represent the female perspective in national development and reconstructive plans for the country.

UN Women has promoted women's participation in social, economic and political processes in Afghanistan since 2002. The organization is supporting the centre by providing interactive learning facilities, briefing sessions, and educative tools to improve legislative knowledge. It has also contributed to the project by ensuring that a Gender Advisor is accessible on site.

Countries including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Turkey and Canada are aiding the implementation of UN Women initiatives to promote women's participation in politics in Afghanistan.

The Officer-in-Charge for UN Women in Afghanistan, Mr Syed Sadiq, commented: "Women's role in peace, development and decision making is key to the overall progress and development of the nation. The achievements made on gender equality over the last decade should be further pursued, sustained and promoted."