During his first visit to Afghanistan from 4-7 October, UN Women Deputy Executive Director John Hendra met with several national and international officials as well as civil society representatives to discuss advancing women’s rights, women’s empowerment and gender equality in Afghanistan. As preparations for international troops’ withdrawal next year and national elections gear up, he emphasized the need for greater political and economic empowerment of Afghan women and to safeguard gains in women’s rights.

Mr. Hendra commended achievements over the past decade such as the Afghan Constitution, which enshrines equality between men and women; the fact that women make up 28 per cent of the National Assembly; the country’s signing of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) without reservations; the enactment of its own law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) and the fact that 2.7 million girls are now attending school, which was not allowed under Taliban rule.