Attachments
Executive Summary
The relationship between Afghanistan’s future as a nation and women’s democratic participation has been a central issue for the country’s fledgling political structures. Reflecting on the lessons learned from the 2014 Presidential Elections and looking forward to the possibilities for the 2015 Parliamentary Elections, this brief examines what can be done to enhance and improve women’s democratic engagement. It becomes evident that, despite strong achievements, work remains to be done to guarantee the full exercise of women’s civic rights. Particularly, EQUALITY for Peace and Democracy’s consultations finds that civil society must concentrate on programming which emphasizes a gender-based approach to engagement in politics rather than isolating issues relating to women. This paper outlines EPD’s findings and recommends policies that seek to overcome or mitigate some of the obstacles to women’s democratic practice in 2015.