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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — She lives in a society that traditionally keeps women behind closed doors. But Afghanistan's first lady has broken that convention. She has spoken out on issues such as violence against women, the rule of law and the power of religion.
When Rula Ghani's husband, President Ashraf Ghani, took office eight months ago, he did something unprecedented -- he introduced his wife in his inaugural speech. Since then, Rula Ghani has done what first ladies often do in democracies -- attending public events alongside her husband, and speaking to audiences about current issues.
But her words have always been soft-spoken and measured -- and they've been delivered away from the center stage of Afghan politics. She tells the Associated Press, "I don't do politics."
What she does do, she says, is listen. Hundreds of people have visited her meeting room to share their problems and seek her advice.
Her predecessor -- Zinat Karzai -- was called the "invisible first lady." In one of her rare interviews, she said Afghanistan wasn't ready to see a first lady at her husband's side.
But Ghani disagrees, and says the country is going through profound change.
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144-a-10-(Afghanistan's first lady Rula Ghani (ROO'-lah GAH'-nee), in AP interview)-"sought the limelight"-Afghanistan's first lady, Rula Ghani, says she's much more interested in helping people than in, as she puts it, 'doing politics.' (27 May 2015)
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142-a-15-(Afghanistan's first lady Rula Ghani (ROO'-lah GAH'-nee), in AP interview)-"will support you"-Afghanistan's first lady, Rula Ghani, says people share their problems and seek her advice. (27 May 2015)
<<CUT *142 (05/27/15)££ 00:15 "will support you"
143-a-15-(Afghanistan's first lady Rula Ghani (ROO'-lah GAH'-nee), in AP interview)-"lot of resourcefulness"-Afghanistan's first lady, Rula Ghani, says women are the focus of her work. (27 May 2015)
<<CUT *143 (05/27/15)££ 00:15 "lot of resourcefulness"
APPHOTO XRG502: In this Monday, May 25, 2015 photo, Afghan First Lady Rula Ghani smiles during an interview with The Associated Press at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. Rula Ghani has been quietly breaking conventions since she became first lady in a society that traditionally keeps its women behind closed doors. In the eight months since her husband, President Ashraf Ghani, acknowledged her as his life partner in his inauguration speech, she has spoken out on a range of contentious issues violence against women, the rule of law and the power of religion. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) (3 Aug 2013)
<<APPHOTO XRG502 (08/03/13)££
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