by Luigi Jorio, swissinfo.ch

Women police recruits head for training camp (Keystone)

More and more Afghan women are breaking with tradition in their male-dominated society, taking jobs and participating in public affairs.
They include 1,300 or so who have joined the police force who, despite facing discrimination, make an “immense” contribution to improving the welfare of other women, Marie-Thérèse Karlen, of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), tells swissinfo.ch.

After three decades of war, international troops are due to withdraw in 2014, leaving the Afghan government with full responsibility for keeping order. In this context, the police force and army will be more important than ever.