Although women have gained a higher proportion of delegate seats in

the current Loya Jirga compared to the previous one, they still feel

that their voice is not being heard.

Several female delegates said they feel silenced by the atmosphere in

the assembly, where conservatives have power. They were particularly

unhappy about the treatment of Malalai Joya, a young female delegate

who was called a communist when she spoke out against the jihadi

leaders and was nearly thrown out of the jirga on Wednesday.

In spite of this, the female delegates are determined to keep

conferring with each other and continue to try to influence the process.

In the Emergency Loya Jirga of June 2002, women had 200 delegates out

of the 1,650 total. For this assembly, there are 95 women out of 502

delegates - two elected from each of the 32 provinces, 25 appointed by

President Hamed Karzai, and six from among special groups – Kuchi

nomads, internally displaced people, and Afghans living in Iran and

Pakistan. So the proportion has increased from about 12 per cent of

the jirga to around 20 per cent.

One woman, Safia Sediqi, was chosen as a fourth deputy chair of the

Loya Jirga, and half of the four secretaries are women.

But Sima Samar, head of the independent human rights commission and

former minister of women's affairs, argued that since women make up

more than half of the population of Afghanistan, "there should have

been at least 200 women taking part".

One of the secretaries of the Loya Jirga, Jamila Mujahed, told IWPR,

"Compared to the [Emergency] Loya Jirga, generally the atmosphere has

improved."

But it still isn't conducive for women to feel comfortable, she said.

"The number of women is few and the fundamentalists are in the

majority. If the environment remains in the hands of such people, the

chances for women [to have influence] are slight," she added.

A delegate from Kandahar, Rangina Hamidi, said there are plenty of men

in the assembly who also disagreed with the way the conservative

elements are acting, but "they don't have the courage to say so".

She expressed sympathy for Joya. "If we're not saddened [by this], we

wouldn't be human," she said. "We should have left the hall."

Hamidi said a group of women delegates met with United States

ambassador Zalmai Khalilzad on Wednesday evening and told him, "Talk

of our people's freedom and democracy is futile until the warlords

disappear."

One woman delegate, who asked to remain anonymous, said that the

mujahedin faction leaders and commanders who form the majority of the

Loya Jirga are a hurdle to women and pro democratic men – because they

are afraid they'll be killed if they speak up.

She said, "When a delegate offers his or her opinion and someone stops

them and the microphone is cut, and they hears insulting words from

every side - what type of democracy and freedom is that?"

She and several other female delegates complained that the Loya

Jirga's work wasn't well -organised, and that all the long-winded

speeches made them very tired.

However, Palwasha Hasan, chief editor for Mursal Weekly and a delegate

from Kabul, said that woman can defend their rights in the Loya Jirga.

She said women are consulting amongst themselves about ways to win

rights for women, where they have unanimity. However, some approve of

the presidential system as in the draft constitution, while others

prefer a parliamentary system.

Hasina Sulaiman and Hasina Rasuli are participating in IWPR's Loya

Jirga reporting project. Danish Karokhel, an editor and staff reporter

for IWPR, also contributed to this report.

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