Kabul (Agencies): Afghanistan’s only female provincial governor Masooma Muradi has been replaced by a man, an official said Wednesday, in a blow to women politicians in the patriarchal country.
Masooma Muradi had faced strong resistance from religious conservatives and political opponents since her appointment in 2015 as governor of Daikundi, a remote province in central Afghanistan.
“I can confirm Masooma Muradi, the governor of Daikundi, has been replaced,” Munera Yousufzada, a spokesperson for the directorate of local governance said.
“This is a normal procedure in the government. We are thankful for all her efforts. This is not any kind of prejudice against women.” Yousufzada said Muradi had not been assigned another job.
Muradi was handpicked by President Ashraf Ghani to lead Daikundi, but protests erupted even before she arrived in the impoverished province as her male political opponents attacked her lack of experience.
Her ascent to the post was a remarkable feat in Afghanistan where stubborn patriarchal traditions and conservative attitudes about a woman’s place in the world persist.
