The first female provincial governor for central Maidan Wardak province of Afghanistan was appointed by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, according to Khaama Press.

The Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) said Masooma Muradi was approved as Maidan Wardak provincial governor after her appointment was approved by President Ghani.

Muradi is the second woman appointed as the provincial governor to lead the affairs of a specific province.

Earlier, Habiba Surabi was serving as provincial governor for central Bamyan province during the former President Hamid Karzai’s administration.

She resigned from her after participating in Presidential Election last year where she was contesting as the second vice-president to presidential nominee Zalmai Rasool.

The appointment of Muradi as Bamyan provincial governor comes as President Ghani had promised to increase the role of women in the government of national unity.

Speaking to a gathering of women ahead of the Presidential Elections, Ghani promised that the women will be given more opportunities in economic, education and health sectors.

He also vowed to take practical steps regarding the proper implementation of decree on women’s rights and insisted for positive discrimination regarding further participation of women in governmental organizations.