✍️ By: Hamia Naderi
The decade of democracy in Afghanistan (1964–1973) brought political and civil freedoms after centuries of autocracy.
On October 1, 1964, King Mohammad Zahir Shah ratified a new constitution during a Loya Jirga. For the first time, Afghan women were granted the right to vote and run for office, a historic step toward gender equality.
In the 1965 parliamentary elections, four women won seats in the House of Representatives: Ruqia Habib Abubakr and Anahita Ratebzad from Kabul, Khadija Ahrari from Herat, and Masuma Esmati-Wardak from Kandahar. They served until 1970, winning more votes than many male candidates in their constituencies.
Before this, all members of parliament had been appointed; the 1965 elections were the first to feature direct voting. The election of these four women was a landmark achievement for women’s political rights, though later political upheavals marginalized women’s roles in public life until after 2001.
The First Four Women MPs:
- Ruqia Habib Abubakr (1919–2002): Born in Kabul, she studied at Mostowrat (Malalai) School and Kabul University’s Faculty of Social Sciences. She worked as a teacher, editor-in-chief of Mirman magazine, member of the Historical Society, head of publications at the Red Crescent, and one of the first female radio broadcasters. She passed away in the U.S. in 2002.
- Anahita Ratebzad (1931–2014): Born in Kabul’s Guldara district, she attended Malalai High School, studied nursing in the U.S., and earned a medical degree from Kabul University. She became one of Afghanistan’s first female doctors and a prominent leftist leader, serving as Vice President under Babrak Karmal, Minister of Education, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, ambassador to Yugoslavia, and founder of the Democratic Women’s Organization. She died in Germany in 2014 and was buried in Kabul.
- Khadija Ahrari: A teacher from Herat, she completed high school and taught at Malika Jalali Girls’ School. She won her seat in 1965 with strong support from Herat’s educational community. Little is known about her later life.
- Masuma Esmati-Wardak (1930–2007): Born in Kabul, she graduated from Malalai High School, earned a literature degree from Kabul University, and a master’s in education from Chicago. She served as a teacher, Constitutional Advisory Commission member, Minister of Education, Chair of the National UNESCO Commission, and advocate for women’s rights. She later sought refuge in France and died there in 2007.
These pioneering women broke barriers and became enduring symbols of women’s participation in Afghan politics, laying the groundwork for future generations despite the challenges that followed.
