Gender and Election Alert Afghanistan 2009
Official Press Release
The Hague, 18th August 2009
Gender and Election Alert Afghanistan-2009
Negligence in Women Vote Bank and over-registration of female-voters are causing concern over the legitimacy and transparency
Afghan Presidential and Provincial Council Elections on August 20th, 2009
Despite the fact this upcoming election will have a higher percentage of women candidates and voters than last elections, the ratio of women vote cast is expected much lesser then was targeted for the upcoming elections. The main reason for this lower rate of women show-up at polling stations is the failure to recruit adequate staff for women-polling stations.
Gender Concerns International is disappointed to learn that in South Eastern Afghanistan the Independent Election Commission (IEC), which is organizing the polls, still needs to recruit 13,000 women before Thursday's elections. The IEC refused to comment on recruitment figures, but our local sources suggest that the shortfall is much worse, at more than 42,000.
Women activists in Afghanistan are calling elections illegitimate as women voters will not go to cast their vote to the male polling stations. "If half of the population can't participate, the election is illegitimate," said Orzala Ashref of the Afghan Women"s Network. "Without women's votes, without women's participation, of course the election is not going to be valid."
"You need female staff," said leading women's rights activist Wazhma Frogh. "Otherwise women won't dare go out. Their families won't let them." Voicing the concern of women in Afghanistan, Sabra Bano, director Gender Concerns International, the Hague stated in a press statement issued today that "The Women Polling Stations In Afghanistan and its regional Islamic neighboring countries have been a known phenomenon for decades. It is almost tragic that the international community has not taken enough measures to use its influence and resources to provide conducive conditions for the women vote bank in Afghanistan. We need to do better than just arguing for cultural practices and socio-economic conditions as justification for our half-hearted gender equality efforts in the area of democracy in Afghanistan" said Bano.
Gender Concerns International has established an Election Update Cell at its head-office in The Hague. On 20th August it will have a special Election Update Line (00 31 70 4445084) for those who are interested in Gender and Democracy in Afghanistan and the region.
For further information please contact:
Sabra Bano, Gender Concerns International
Phone: +31 (070) 4445082
Mobile: +31 (6) 53965784
Laan van Meerdervoort 70
2517 AN, The Hague
Email: Sbano@genderconcerns.nl www.genderconcerns.nl
» Article by Chantal Gill'ard (dutch)