Before the Taliban took over Afghanistan, women played an active role in the political life of the country. There were women government ministers under the King, in the Republic and under the Communist regimes.
Lesley Abdela, an advisor on women and democracy, is already looking forward to the possible fall of the Taliban, and is campaigning for any new Afghan constitution to guarantee representation for women. She points out that following the conflicts in Kosovo and Bosnia, the international community used its power to ensure that in future elections at least 30% of all election candidates will be women. But is it right for us to impose quotas for women when we don't even have them in Britain? David Chandler, research fellow on Community Involvement and Democracy, at Leeds Metropolitan University, joins the discussion.
