Afghan Commission to Establish Loya Jirga Will Have 3 Women

Afghanistan’s interim government leader, Hamid Karzai, announced Friday that there will be three women in the 21-member commission he has selected to help establish the country’s loya jirga.

Women appointed to Karzai’s commission include:

·Mahbooba Hoquqmul, Deputy Chairman of the Commission, is a Kabul University law professor, and prior to the Taliban takeover, served as director of the University’s law faculty. She was also director of the Afghan Women’s Association in the mid 1990’s and did social service work in Pakistan from 1996-2001.

·Surya Parlika, is a long-time Afghan women’s rights activist. She holds degrees in economics and international relations.

·Humaira Nematy

The loya jirga, or grand council, is scheduled to convene in approximately five months to elect a two-year interim government for Afghanistan. In the meantime, members of Karzai’s commission will travel to various parts of Afghanistan to help people choose their representatives to the loya jirga, which will be composed of more than 500 representatives.

Media Resources: Washington Post, 1/27/02: US News and World Report 12/31/01; and Feminist Majority Foundation

© Feminist Majority Foundation, publisher of Ms. magazine

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