Despite there being rigid quotas
that require women to make up at least 25% of parliament in Afghanistan, women
do not have the opportunity to fully represent the constituents they are
elected to represent. While the 68 seats reserved for women have been filled
every election that the quota has been in place, women are still discriminated
against and treated horribly by the other members and leaders of parliament. In
fairness, many members simply fear the wrath of the Taliban, which has
attempted to assassinate powerful female representatives. But there are signs
of progress as women like Najia Zewari have been selected to sit on the High
Peace Council, which deals with peace negotiations, and there has been no
backlash yet from the Taliban, suggesting that they have accepted her
membership on that committee.
Unfortunately however, women still
face many everyday challenges in parliament. Sometimes in order to be heard,
they have to physically pull the microphone away from the MP, who ignores their
turns to speak. Women in parliament in Afghanistan also face violence and
intimidation daily. But on the bright side, due to the hard work of its female
politicians, Afghanistan was one of the first countries with quota laws that
has elected a woman outside of the quota. This is a monumental achievement that
demonstrates that women in Afghanistan may one day be able to represent their
constituents with far less pushback from those who adhere to strict cultural
and social norms.
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