by Nadja Schmeil UNV - Special Operations

05 March 2004

Bonn, Germany: If William Shakespeare were to witness the current events in Afghanistan, he would most likely think twice before penning his famous phrase, “Frailty, thy name is woman!”

While the global community honours International Women’s Day on 8 March, interested eyes and ears focus on events in this war-torn country. Lars Narfeldt, UNV Programme Manager in Afghanistan says, "International Women's Day is a very important day, perhaps even more so in the context of Afghanistan. Thus, it is fantastic to see that the number of women registering for the upcoming election. The fact that the UN Volunteers programme in Afghanistan has a near perfect gender ratio is something we are quite proud of."

As the mandatory cloak or burka is slowly being shed in many parts of the country, Afghan women find themselves confronted with an electoral process, something citizens of this war-torn country had all but forgotten. Insecurity, fear, cultural sensitivities and traditionally defined roles, the result of the current political situation and years under diverse and fundamentalist regimes, guide the manner in which Afghan women of varied tribal backgrounds approach the western concept of democratic governance.

Pashtun women, for example, follow a tradition that does not support female participation in public life, while others support separate registration centers for women in every village, where women should be enrolled by female officers. The Institute for War & Peace Reporting, an organization with a mandate to strengthen local journalism in areas of conflict, reports that some women resist having their photos taken. According to Noor Bibi, one of the leaders of the registration process, only about 20 per cent of the women who do register accept a photo id card. The rest prefer the special condition allowing women to provide their fingerprints only.

On 16 February 2004, when Afghanistan’s First Lady, Mrs. Karzai registered herself in the Amena-e-Fedawi High School in Kabul, she attempted to set a trend by expressing her personal support of the electoral process and by doing so encouraged fellow Afghan women to follow suit.

The people of Afghanistan are experiencing change. A slow but steady move towards a freer and more democratic society. An open and gender-balanced process to register eligible voters is being supported and in some cases also being realized.

At an 18 February press briefing Jean Arnault, the newly appointed Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan, stated over 1 million Afghans had registered to vote. The number of women registered is 253,085, or about 25 percent. Some 300 registration teams, in eight regional centers, are registering over 30,000 individuals per day.

When making a comparison of the eight regional centers – Kabul (Central), Herat (West), Mazar (North), Bamyan (Central Highlands), Kunduz (North East), Jalalabad (East), Kandahar (South) and Gardez (South East) - where Phase I of the registration process is being conducted Mr. Narfeldt noted that there is a wide variation in levels of women's participation. He further noted, the central area, had registered the highest number of voters (42 %), followed by the west and east with 15 per cent each, the north with 12 per cent, the northeast with six per cent, the south at five per cent, the southeast at three per cent and finally, the central highlands with two per cent.

Narfeldt added, “Increasing the overall level of women voters is still a priority, particularly in the south, southeast and east.” Afghan tribal councils as well as individual initiatives are finding creative avenues by which to include greater numbers of women. The Institute for War & Peace Reporting reports that a tribal council in the Paktia province has penalized families whose women do not enroll, the equivalent of $2,000 USD and a bull - an enormous sum for an average Afghan in this poverty-stricken, conflict-torn country.

In Mazar-e Sharif, a renowned local television presenter for women and headmistress of Hashim-I-Barat High School, Nafeesa Ghyasi, amassed 500 women who then walked together through Mazar to one of the local registration sites.

Real change and greater integration however, can only be realized once women have been educated on their rights and their opportunities and are willing to contribute to change. While participation is essential, knowledge and sharing are equally as vital to further this process. In an effort to enhance awareness and create a platform to openly discuss possible difficulties faced by women during registration and elections, the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) together with the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) has invited female delegates from the Constitutional Loya Jirga to participate in a workshop entitled, “The Constitution and The Election: Implementation Of Women's Rights.” The results of which will be the planks in a platform for action on the constitutional and electoral processes that will be made public on 8 March, when MOWA holds an event celebrating International Women's Day.

Small steps forward are being made in Afghanistan. Voices are being heard and opinions registered. While the advance is slow and modest, realization of the importance of full participation toward an open society and free and fair elections is being created.