Afghan Women and the Elections 1388 (2009)
Two women ran for president - Mrs. Shahla Ata and Dr. Frozan Fana.
7 Vice Presidential candidates were women.
328 women competed for provincial council seats (10% of candidates).
Of the 4.5 million voters who have registered for the first time for this year's polls, about 38% of those new voters are female.
More than 320 women nominated themselves as candidates. This is approximately 40 more women than the last provincial council elections. There has been an increase in women candidates in most provinces across the country
- Independent Election Commission 
18 Aug | UNAMA Press Conference Q & A with Kai Eide, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General
for Afghanistan
VOA: There have been reports that apparently there haven't been enough female voters and also that the numbers of women to do searches of women at polling stations on Thursday and staff polling booths themselves will not be adequate. Has there been a general failure to provide sufficiently for registration and at the ballot boxes for females?
SRSG: First with regards to the number of female candidates: I was worried a few days before the registration period finished that we will have a low number of female candidates. Now, we did end up with a higher number of female candidates than last time. Is it enough? No it's not. I want women to play a more active role in the public life in Afghanistan. With regard to the question you mentioned on women for the polling stations? There are problems in recruitment in different categories. And the phenomenon you mentioned - the need to help a big number of women to carry out that exercise at the polling centres - just illustrates the complexity of the elections and how different these elections are and how more challenging they are than any other election I have experienced.
You gave me the opportunity to answer another question: What do I think about the number of women in government? The answer is that I expect the new government to include many more women than what you see today. Today, there is only one woman that is obviously not a situation we want to be in. And also I want to see more female governors. We have one female governor in Bamyan, who is an extremely competent governor. The competent women are there and they have to be appointed to prominent positions. The female population of this country is, to a large extent, marginalized. They need role models and they need more of them. And I think when the new government is being formed and governors are being appointed, it is an excellent opportunity for the future political leadership to show that understanding. It is a human rights issue. But as I said many times before no country can develop successfully by only making use of 50 per cent of its population. The entire population must be mobilized. The women must be mobilized. Read the full transcript
14 Aug | Afghanistan's women provincial council candidates battle men
In many ways, history is unfolding in this hastily-assembled office in a residential apartment in Kabul's Kolola Pushta neighbourhood.
Farida Tarana, one of Afghanistan's most popular women, welcomes me into the room, then quickly engrosses herself in some papers, as a bunch of older male staff wait to be seated until she places herself on the couch. more
13 Aug | INTERVIEW: Women and the elections in Afghanistan
UN Radio interviews Sayeda Mojgan Mostafavi, Technical and Policy Deputy at the Ministry of Women's Affairs and Teresa de Langis, Senior Gender & Politics Specialist at UNIFEM Afghanistan on women and the 2009 elections...
02 July | Women of Nangarhar prepare to cast their votes
Many girls and women intend to participate in the election but most of them are worried about the security of the polling centres. We hope the government will provide a secure environment on election day in all the centres, especially, in the female polling centres.
- Latifa Sayed, School Teacher, Civic Educator
12 July | Women voice their election concerns in Bamyan
In Bamyan, women are even more interested to play a part in the elections, they see this event as a big opportunity for them to have their say and contribute to a peaceful and democratic Afghanistan
- Halima Rezayee, 27, an election education worker employed
by an NGO in Bamyan
27 July | UNAMA Spokesperson Aleem Siddique on Afghan women and the upcoming elections
"UNAMA has advocated for strong participation of women in this election from the very beginning of this process. Afghanistan deserves the best leaders it can possibly find and that means ensuring the participation of both men and women..."
UNIFEM