Afghans want peace, says President

KABUL (Agencies): President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in a meeting with representatives of women for various municipal districts of Kabul city said that he was proud that Afghan woman was an example of power and strength.

In the meeting attended also by the country’s First Lady, women speakers representing other women enumerated employment opportunities to female doctors, lack of standard hospitals, low-quality medicines, security of health workers, assessment of government and private hospitals, providing budget for women sports and ground for them, gender discrimination in government institutions and sport grounds and creation of high women council as their problems and demands.

They also asked for presence of women in leading positions, addressing lack of professional teachers and standard education curriculum, prevention of monopolism in the ministry of education, coordination between the MoE and MoHE, digitalization of education ministry, prevention of high fees in private higher education institutions and attention to women prisoners and their children and others. After hearing their problems and demands, the country’s President by praising the speakers for sharing their suggestions and demands without any censorship said he was proud that Afghan woman was an example of power and strength.

President Ghani instructed officials for Kabul municipality to pave the way for selection of two women as women representative in each district, adding that a powerful council of women was needed to coordinate women-related issues as one organ could not address all problems of women.

The country’s President further said that considerable attention has been paid to appointment of women in higher positions in the past five years, saying that the process would continue. Pointing to women sports, President Ghani asserted that it was determined that Chaman-e-Huzori would be soon changed to a recreational and sport area to families, women and children, adding that a part of BalaBagh of Paghman would be also changed to business and sport activities for women.

The country’s President by pointing to education system said that 7,000 schools including 3500 girl schools would be equipped with modern technology by starting the new education year, saying that measures have been adopted by Independent Administrative Reforms and Civil Services Commission to appoint women in government institutions. Pointing to ongoing peace process, President Ghani said that all Afghans wanted peace, but peace process in which the rights of all women were protected.