Dr. Massouda Jalal, the Minister of Women’s Affairs launched a ten-year action plan on Wednesday March 8, with a view to breaking the barriers that constrain the development of women in Afghanistan.

In a ceremony to mark the International Women’s Day, Dr. Jalal addressed hundreds of delegates coming from every corner of the country announcing the launching of the scheme, known as the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA).

Dr. Jalal said it “will translate the policies and commitments of our government into concrete programmes, projects and services that will eliminate women’s difficulties, build their capacities, and harness their energies and talents to accelerate nation building and bring about a better life for everybody.”

Also present at the ceremony in the Loya Jirga tent at the Kabul Polytechnic University, where Afghanistan’s new constitution was born, were President Hamid Karzai and senior government officials and representatives of international organizations.

President Karzai, in his speech, said much had been achieved for women’s rights but more needed to be done.

Meryem Aslan, UNIFEM’s Programme Director said “Women who have been able to break through gender, class and ethnic barriers and became active political and economic agents and who are now active in the civil society, media, private sector and civil service have a great potential for building strategic alliances and leading/facilitating behavioural changes in the society.”

The celebration of International Women’s Day in Afghanistan first took place in 2002 just four months after the collapse of the Taliban regime. Since then women have voted for the first time in presidential and parliamentary elections. One woman is a regional governor in Afghanistan and women now hold seats in Parliament and senior positions in ministries and other organisations.

For more information:

Mustafa Eric
Sr. Public Information Officer
United Nations Development Programme
mustafa.eric@undp.org
+93 (0)70 157 494