I’d like to draw your attention to the latest blog by our Head of Mission in Helmand, Michael O’Neill. The post covers Helmand Province on today, International Women’s Day. Helmand Province offers a microcosm of the wide range of conditions facing women and girls in Afghanistan. In many rural areas it’s hard for girls to get any kind of education, and extremely difficult to find trained female teachers. But this is far from the full story.
Helmand has two women in the national parliament in Kabul, four in the 15-person Provincial Council, more than half-a-dozen others in the Lashkar Gah and Gereshk local councils – all elected, all vociferous in presenting their views. This blog is a useful reminder once again of how far Helmand has come, and I therefore encourage you to read it.
http://localhost:8888/michaeloneill/2012/03/08/helmand-on-international-womens-day/