Women's Rights and Political Representation: Past Achievements and Future Challenges

​​This PRIO paper provides bac​kground on women's rights and political representation for the Oslo Symposium on Women's Rights and Empowerment in Afghanistan​, held in Oslo on 23 November 2014. 

• ​How can female political participation and representation best be enhanced, in the next parliamentary elections and beyond?
• What are the most important strategic issues related to gender equity, assuming that popular resonance and effective polit-ical alliances (including with male co​nstituencies) are re-quirements for success?
• Are cases of prosecution of violence against women best undertaken through specialized entitites or through reform of the entire justice system?
• What is the political space for reform in family legislation, and which reforms (marriage, divorce, custody or inheritance) would be most important for the status of Afghan women?​