Afghanistan's Women Judges Call For Supreme Court Place

Female judges on Tuesday called for at least one of their number to be appointed to Afghanistan's Supreme Court.



"There should be at least one judge in the superior judiciary and at least one woman should also be present in the selection board of the Supreme Court," Shakila Abawi Shagarf, head of the Afghan Women Judges' Association (AWJA), told a news conference in Kabul.



"This would be an important step forward that would pave way for justice and equality in the country."



There has never been a female member of the nine-member Supreme Court. President Ashraf Ghani nominated Anisa Rassouli to the court in June 2015 but the appointment was vetoed by parliament.



Female judges, of which there are 260 in Afghanistan, have said a female appointment to the highest court would be a move towards a fairer justice system.



Abdul Qadir, a member of the Supreme Court's High Council, said the AWJA's demands would be passed on to the government.



According to officials, there are 420 women serving prison sentences for murder or "moral crimes" in Afghanistan. In the past, the judicial system has been criticized by the UN for failing female victims of violence. -