PUL-I-ALAM (Pajhwok): Director of women affairs in central Logar province on Monday demanded launching an inclusive awareness campaign to ensure greater participation of women in the presidential runoff vote.
In her interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, Shima Zargar said local tradition was a stumbling block hampering women folk from casting their vote in the election.
During the last elections, dozens of instances could be found in which male members did not allow their female to cast vote.
“A very small number of women from Azri, Khwarwar and Charkh districts took part in the April 5 polls,” she lamented.
With the support of Independent Election Commission (IEC), she urged services of media, civil society networks, religious leaders and tribal elders should be employed to create awareness regarding importance of women vote in the election.
“If a campaign for women awareness is launched then it will multiply women participation in the ballot process,” she hoped.
Haji Gul Mohammad, a local from provincial capital, acknowledged women had little participation in the last election. “No one in our area allowed women to go to polling station and cast their vote,” he added.
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