By Shadi Khan Saif
KABUL
For the first time in Afghanistan's history, a female judge was officially nominated to the highest levels of the judiciary this week.
It was a move seen by many as part of President Ashraf Ghani’s promised vision of female empowerment, but some are concerned the Supreme Court nomination, and Ghani's promotion of women's rights, could provoke a backlash from conservative forces.
Ghani's nomination for Anisa Rassouli, which still needs parliament's approval, came a day after he announced a National Action Plan to improve Afghanistan's record on women's rights by placing responsibility on all government ministries.
The issue was a strong feature of Ghani's election campaign last year and the Afghan leader has often spoken about how, contrary to tradition, it was his educated and influential grandmother who created the foundations for his and his family's success.
“Our goal is to bring sustainable changes, not just cosmetic changes,” Ghani stressed on Tuesday, but senior Afghan journalist Aashiqullah Yaqub fears his promises could invite strong opposition.
“You see, during the times of King Amanullah Khan and later during the communist era, Afghan society vehemently resisted some ultra-modern moves, which subsequently resulted in the fall of the governments,” Yaqub said.
King Amanullah ruled Afghanistan from 1919 till 1929, when his brother seized power following a popular uprising.
Mahmud Tarzi, the King’s father-in-law and foreign minister, had been a follower of the Turkish republic's founder Mustafa Kemal and wanted to emulate the programme of social and political reforms he had introduced in Turkey.
Under Amanullah, new schools for both boys and girls were created and he brought an end to strict dress codes for women, but the rapid changes caused a backlash among conservative Afghans, who viewed the reforms as Westernization, which contributed to his downfall.
Ghani now has four female ministers in his cabinet and has promised to appoint more female governors and female deputy ministers in all of the ministries.
His wife Rula Ghani, in clear contrast to the former first lady, is also often seen publicly advocating for Afghan women in national and international forums.
Yaqub said that, in contrast to King Amanullah, Ghani has carefully considered his strategy for reform.
“There is no doubt that the conservative forces might not like some of his moves but never forget the fact that things have changed a lot from then to now. It was the women’s vote, especially in the rural areas, that ensured Ghani’s victory in the elections,” said Yaqub.
The mob lynching of a 27-year old woman falsely accused of burning a copy of the Quran in March shocked Afghanistan and highlighted again the issues faced by women in society.
Hundreds of women took to the streets in Kabul and other cities to protest and, defying customs, women bore the coffin during the funeral. That move and subsequent protests irked Afghanistan’s powerful Ulema Council, which consists of senior religious clerics.
"We ask the government to tell them [civil rights groups] to stop. Otherwise, we know how to stop them," Ulema Council member Enayatullah Baligh was quoted by local media as saying in mid-May.
The Afghanistan Women's Network, which claims to represent and promote Afghan women in political and social arenas, has praised Ghani for keeping his promise to improve women's representation.
The group's Executive Director Hasina Safi said Anisa Rasouli's nomination to the Supreme Court was a major milestone after "we have been striving very hard for our rights for over a decade now.”
“We believe our struggle is not over, there are many challenges ahead, we hope all the commitments made by the president will translate into actions that would lead to a better society,” she said.
