Afghan presidential election
In a separate place from the men in Kabul's Dasht Barche polling station, an Afghan woman, dressed in an azure blue burqa - the all-covering head-to-toe cloak worn by many traditional women in Afghanistan - votes in the first direct presidential election, Oct. 9, 2004. To prevent multiple voting, an employee of UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) - the woman on the left side of the picture - stains her thumb with ink and make a hole in the voting cards. A total of 10.5 million Afghans have registered to vote in a nation of around 22 million people. About 300,000 to 500,000 Afghan refugees in Pakistan and another 600,000 in Iran are also eligible to participate. Kabul, Afghanistan 2004