Progress In Afghan Politics Since The Overthrow Of Taliban

As Afghanistan is preparing to elect new president on April 5,2015, the troubled country is taking the chance to evaluate the progress politically it has made since the overthrow of Taliban in 2001. The last parliamentary elections took place in 2010, the next will be in 2015, and saw 69 women taking their places in the nation's 249-seat lower house. With the courtesy to AP photographer Anja Niedringhaus for the above and following photographs), who took the opportunity to focus on some the country's female lawmakers by producing a series of powerful portraits, during the final stages of presidential election compaign. Above is the Kabul politician Toorpekai Patman next to guard of honour in Afghan parliament. Here is Habiba Danish. Under Afghan law 20 % of council member seats are reserved for women. Female politicians are also figuring prominently in presidential comaigns. Three presidential hopefuls have taken bold step of choosing a woman as running mate, including one of the front runners below, Habiba. A representative for the Takhar region, poses in front of a wall of portraits featuring her fellow parliamentarians.

The following is Hamida Ahmadzai. She represents the Kuchi region of the country, and is pictured here posing in a hallway inside the Afghan parliament. "In our parliament we have 69 women. That is a great number bigger even than European parliaments", she says.

Then is the parliamentarian Habiba Sadat When the Taliban ruled women were rarely allowed to leave their homes, and when they did they had to wear an all-encompassing burqa (That can been seen still worn by women in KPK. While still some conservative do still wear the burqa.

Here is Raheema Jamiry representative from Hetat.

Baghlan's Najia Haimoq

Kabul Politician Fawzia Koofi