28 July 2009
Women Indispensable to Elections, Democratization in Afghanistan, July 28, 2009
(Participation supports “long-term democratic behavior,” foundation says)
By Jim Fisher-Thompson
Staff Writer
Washington — “Women are an indispensable component to democracy in Afghanistan,” serving important roles as candidates and voters in the nation’s August 20 elections, says Vasu Mohan, deputy director for the Europe and Asia program of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), a nongovernmental organization (NGO) that runs projects on democracy in 30 countries.
An election is not just an event, Mohan explained, but “the seed of long-term democratic behavior. When women are politically involved, they reinforce this behavior because of their influence within the family and in larger society.”
That is why their participation in the August elections is such “a critical part of the overall political development of Afghanistan,” the NGO director told America.gov in a recent interview at IFES headquarters in Washington.
As of March, Afghanistan’s Independent Election Commission reported, more than 4.4 million new voters have been registered for the August 20 presidential and provincial council elections, 38 percent being women. Elections for parliament and district councils are set for 2010.
“Increased participation by women is a laudable effort,” Mohan said, “but it must constantly be reinforced because it is very easy to lose such gains. Their public lives are still so fragile” in a society that is mainly rural, traditional and religiously orthodox.
There is a proverb in Afghanistan highlighting the slow but steady influence of women that says “drop by drop a river is made.” Under the Taliban, women were forbidden most educational opportunities and political participation.
Now, almost eight years after the fall of the Taliban regime, more women than ever are voting and running for public office with the help of international and local NGOs and the Afghan government, Mohan said.
For example, since coming to power in 2002 the Afghan government has stepped up efforts to integrate women into the political life of the nation, including setting aside 25 percent of seats for women in the provincial councils as well as the Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of parliament.
Such quotas are necessary, the NGO director said, because men in Afghanistan have an “unfair advantage in terms of electoral knowledge, access to money for political campaigns, and even mobility.” In many parts of the country women need to be escorted by male members of their families when they leave home, he explained.
Among the tools IFES uses to help level the political playing field for Afghan women, Mohan said, is the Consortium for Electoral and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The program helps educate Afghan women about the responsibilities of democracy, of which an important part is voting.
Knowledge of the issues and candidates, awareness of rights, and the administering and monitoring of elections are all important themes in workshops conducted by IFES with Afghan partners.
Mohan said a key part of the program is democracy and advocacy training for women who are influential in their communities and for women journalists to make sure political candidates are “held accountable for their views on women’s rights.”
IFES trainers sometimes run workshops on women’s rights and voter issues in women’s homes. According to the IFES Web site, one woman participant of a workshop in Mazar-e-Sharif said, “This was an interesting and productive workshop. By knowing the [issues], I will be able to elect the best candidate for president.”
More importantly, she added, “I will transfer the key understandings of this workshop to as many women in Mazar-e-Sharif as possible so they can elect a good leader.”
After visiting Afghanistan earlier this year, U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer observed that more women were running for political office.
In Bagdis province, she said, “I saw 11 impressive women [who] are running for the provincial council, hoping to make a difference for the future of their country [because] women want to be part of the solution.”
To that end, in Kabul, the U.S. official announced a new $27 million fund of “small, flexible, rapid-response grants” meant to empower Afghan women-led NGOs at the local level.
“Progress in Afghanistan must be measured not just in military terms, but also in terms of social, political and economic participation of women in rebuilding Afghanistan and in the safeguarding of their human rights,” Verveer said.
More information about IFES is available on the organization’s Web site.
