§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the number of(a)girls and (b)boys who entered primary school in Afghanistan at the start of the new school year on 22 March. [47703]
§ Mr. BradshawUNICEF estimate approximately 1.8 million children to have attended primary schools across Afghanistan on 23 March—the first day of the new school year. Statistics are not yet available on the breakdown of boys and girls who attended. The Afghan Interim Administration, with assistance from UNICEF and other agencies, are actively collating this information.
57W
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure widows in Afghanistan have equal rights to participate in the Loya Jirga being convened in Afghanistan under the auspices of the UN. [47695]
§ Mr. BradshawWe will continue to urge the Special Commission for Convening the Loya Jirga to ensure that women, including widows, are able to participate in the Emergency Loya Jirga process.
On 31 March, the Special Commission for Convening the Emergency Loya Jirga announced the procedures and criteria for selection of delegates for the Emergency Loya Jirga. These include a quota of 165 seats reserved for women. In addition to these reserved seats, women will also be entitled to stand in the regional ballot, to contest the seats reserved for refugees, nomads, business people, intellectuals, religious scholars and minorities.
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many women participants in the Loya Jirga will be accommodated. [47698]
§ Mr. BradshawOn 31 March, the Special Commission for Convening the Emergency Loya Jirga announced the procedures and criteria for selection of delegates for the Emergency Loya Jirga. These include a quota of 165 seats reserved for women. In addition to these reserved seats, women will also be entitled to stand in the regional ballot to contest the seats reserved for refugees, nomads, business people, intellectuals, religious scholars and minorities.
The Special Commission are working with the UN on the logistical arrangements for the Emergency Loya Jirga. We will continue to urge them to ensure that adequate arrangements are in place for the provision of accommodation for all delegates from outside Kabul, including women.
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support the call from Afghanistan's Minister for Women's Affairs for 25 per cent. female representation on the Loya Jirga being organised under the auspices of the UN. [47701]
§ Mr. BradshawWe hope that the views of women will be well represented at the Emergency Loya Jirga.
We welcome the announcement by the Special Commission for Convening the Emergency Loya Jirga on 31 March on the procedures and criteria for the selection of delegates for the Emergency Loya Jirga (ELJ). These include a quota of 165 seats reserved for women. This represents approximately 11 per cent. of the total delegate in the ELJ. This is the highest proportion of women included in any Loya Jirga in Afghan history, and as such is an important first step to ensuring that the views of women will be represented. However, in addition to these reserved seats, women will also be entitled to stand in the regional ballot and to contest the seats reserved for refugees, nomads, business people, intellectuals, religious scholars and minorities.
We will continue to urge the Special Commission for Convening the Emergency Loya Jirga actively to encourage more Afghan women to participate in the political process.
58W
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what provisions will be made to enable women to travel in safety to the Loya Jirga in Afghanistan. [47704]
§ Mr. BradshawThe security arrangements for the Emergency Loya Jirga are currently under consideration by the Special Commission for Convening the Emergency Loya Jirga and the UN. We shall continue to encourage them to enable all participants, including women, to travel in safety to the Emergency Loya Jirga.
§ Joan RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Afghans will need an identity card to participate in the Loya Jirga. [47705]
§ Mr. BradshawOn 31 March the Special Commission for the Convening of the Emergency Loya Jirga announced the procedures and criteria for the selection of delegates for the Emergency Loya Jirga. These did not include reference to an ID card.