Reserved Seats For Women
Having been absent from the decision-making process for centuries, Afghan women for the first time entered the political arena in 2001, after the overthrow of Taliban. With the introduction of reserved seats provision in the 2002 Emergency Loya Jirga, when ten percent of 1600 seats were reserved for women, the ground was laid for participation of Afghan women in parliament.
The new 2004 constitution secured reserved seats for women and minorities in both houses of parliament. In the 2005 parliamentarian elections, Afghan women won 89 seats. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, in 2009 they are holding 67 seats (27.7%) in House of the People and 22 (21.6%) inHouse of Elders. This representation is above the worldwide average of 18.5% and above the average of the United States at 16.8% for the House and 15.4% for the Senate.
Read more about this topic: House Of Elders
Famous quotes containing the words reserved, seats and/or women:
“Wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.”
—Bible: New Testament Jude, verse 13.
Recalling the Book of Enoch, in which fallen angels were condemned to be stars.
“At cheaper and nearer seats of Learning parents with slender incomes may place their sons in a course of education putting them on a level with the sons of the Richest.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)
“Men and women, women and men. It will never work.”
—Erica Jong (b. 1942)