The Independent Election Commission (IEC) of Afghanistan held a recent meeting to help increase women’s participation in voting and submitting candidature for the upcoming 2014 elections. Commissioner Laila Harari said about the meeting, held on September 25th, that women’s participation is a crucial step toward democracy in Afghanistan.
Political parties, civil society and other relevant partners were called upon to support IEC in this aim, and IEC was later backed by representatives of the government and women’s organisations in carrying out these attempts of promoting women’s participation in electoral processes. During this meeting, the IEC held presentations on an Election Operation Plan where candidate nomination, the current situation of female candidates’ registration and their participation, voter registration processes, attempts made to reach the public and other linked gender activities of IEC Gender Unit were raised.
Present at the meeting where 50 representatives from various government agencies such as the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Rehabilitation and other women’s organisations and international organisations.