Fauzia Gailani
Encyclopedia
Fauzia Gailani was elected to represent Herat Province
in Afghanistan
's Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of its National Legislature, in 2005.
She won almost 16,885 votes, more than any other candidate in Herat
.
Prior to her election Fauzia, a mother of six, had established a chain of fitness centers. She belongs to the Gailani ethnic Pashtun
family of Afghanistan.
Fauzia has spoken out against violence against women, and has spoken out forced marriages for girls. She herself was forced to marry, at thirteen years of age. She was widely quoted following the murder of Nadia Anjuman
, a young Afghan poet whose husband was arrested for her death after admitting hitting her following an argument.
The Congressional Research Service
described Fauzia as one of the independent representatives whose support the Hamid Karzai
administration was struggling to win.
Herat Province
Herat is one the 34 provinces of Afghanistan; together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the South-western region of the country...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
's Wolesi Jirga, the lower house of its National Legislature, in 2005.
She won almost 16,885 votes, more than any other candidate in Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
.
Prior to her election Fauzia, a mother of six, had established a chain of fitness centers. She belongs to the Gailani ethnic Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
family of Afghanistan.
Fauzia has spoken out against violence against women, and has spoken out forced marriages for girls. She herself was forced to marry, at thirteen years of age. She was widely quoted following the murder of Nadia Anjuman
Nadia Anjuman
Nadia Anjuman was an Afghan poet and journalist from Afghanistan.In 2005, while still a student at Herat University, she had her first book of poetry published, Gul-e-dodi which proved popular in Afghanistan, Pakistan and even nearby Iran...
, a young Afghan poet whose husband was arrested for her death after admitting hitting her following an argument.
The Congressional Research Service
Congressional Research Service
The Congressional Research Service , known as "Congress's think tank", is the public policy research arm of the United States Congress. As a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress, CRS works exclusively and directly for Members of Congress, their Committees and staff on a...
described Fauzia as one of the independent representatives whose support the Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
administration was struggling to win.