When the newly elected Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, used his inaugural speech to thank his wife, Rula, for her support during the campaign, his words were greeted abroad as a revolution in the visibility of women in public life. In fact, Afghanistan has an almost century-old tradition of women’s empowerment, though that history may not make life easier for Rula Ghani.
Rula Ghani
The role of a ‘first lady’ in Afghanistan is fraught with historical baggage
