“Poverty remains main challenge for women”

KABUL (Afghanistan Time): President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani calls poverty the main challenge for women in the country, saying that tremendous efforts needed to be made to fight it.

Addressing the ceremony of celebrating Women’s International Day on Sunday in the presidential palace, Ghani said that important steps should be taken to fight poverty.

“Poverty is the main problem for women, a lot of women struggle with the poverty,” he said. “If the poverty is not eliminated and until we don’t uproot poverty our national key, the Afghan women would be deprived of their rights.”

Ghani praised Afghan women’s achievements and said that there is no obstacle before women as they can fight for their rights through politics as well.

He said that women’s presence in the high level positions of the government shows tremendous developments regarding their rights.

Ghani emphasized that the national unity government fulfills women’s rights through Islamic and national orders.

Chief Executive Abdullah Abdiullah said that a society without women’s activity would not be preserved.

He said that women want peace, education and reconciliation as their mind set have been changed and opened now.

Meanwhile, Delbar Nazari, minister of women’s affairs said that lack of women’s presence in the local authority is a matter of concern.

“Of course in addition to success we have challenges and problems as well, less presence of women in the level of local authority, shortage in professional women like police, teacher and doctor in the unsecured part of the country,” said the minister.

Nazari said that 20 percent violence against women and 10 percent forced marriages have been decreased because of the efforts the ministry made in regards of women rights in Afghanistan.

The women day is celebrated in several government departments, while Afghanistan is one of the countries where women are facing lots of violent and struggles.