According to the Afghan electoral law, the prospective candidates need at least 300 nominations to be eligible for candidacy in the provincial council elections.

The three-week long registration process which started on the April 30 has no female representation in the provinces of Logar, Paktika, Zabul, Oruzgan, Jozjan and Helmand provinces.

Zuhra, a Panjshiri resident, who had registered for the provincial council elections, says that women still don't draw enough respect and recognition from their male colleagues.

"The problem that women face is that they have less recognition than men and this means that the women won't be able to compete in the forthcoming elections, equally," added Zuhra who hasn't met the requirements yet.

Five other women have also registered in the newly-established province of Panjshir, but haven't managed to secure the number of nominations.

Anisa, a teacher of Logar province said out of 249 seats in the Wolesi Jerga (Lower House), 68 have been allocated to women, and in the provincial councils elections which will run simultaneously, out of 420 seats one fourth will be allocated to women.

Though many women complain of their problems, speaking on behalf of the Joint Electoral Management Body (JEMB) which organizes the elections, Ahmad Baheen said the prerequisites for the candidates had to be standardized and legal to make it fair for both men and women.

Furthermore, Baheen said if a female candidate was not able to secure sufficient nominations, she is not eligible to run for the elections.

"This part of the electoral law (Initially set-up by an independent commission appointed by President Hamid Karzai), is not the electoral commission's jurisdiction," he added.

But with a note of optimism he said there was still plenty of time for the candidates to find enough nominations.