Halima Askari became the first woman head of the Provincial Council in Afghanistan’s conservative Wardak province in 2017. She is part of a new generation of women leaders who, little by little, are pushing for the transformation of governance. She ran for national Parliament this year and is awaiting the results. Regardless of the election results, Askari is determined to continue serving her community and advocating for girls’ and women’s education.

Nabila Musleh, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Women's Affairs, has worked to promote gender equality, women’s empowerment and human rights in Afghanistan for more than 10 years. From 11-16 August, Ms. Musleh joined 32 other senior government officials for a visit to Indonesia to learn about their gender-responsive budgeting experience. Indonesia has successfully championed gender-responsive budgeting, which has helped the government distribute public funds equally to address the needs of women and men.

Women’s participation in development planning and political processes is crucial for advancing Afghanistan toward a more stable and prosperous country, said panellists during a UN-backed radio programme in the central highlands province of Bamyan.

Participants at UN-backed events in the southeastern provinces of Paktya and Paktika called on community members to work together to support women’s participation in the upcoming elections.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed at least 80 people in Kabul in late July, marking the worst attack in Afghanistan in months.

The need for more Afghan women to work in government positions was the key message from those speaking at a UN-backed event in Herat city, the capital of Afghanistan’s third largest province.

According to Human Rights Watch, Afghan women have been denied participation in the last 20 rounds of official peace negotiations. The exclusion of women is explained by some to be the result of women’s limited representation in Afghanistan, where men hold virtually all top positions in government and security institutions.