Seven Afghan widows yesterday became the first women to sign up as police trainees since the Taliban regime's reign ended. The Taliban excluded women from all facets of public life under their extreme interpretation of Islam.

　　Filing into the recruiting center on the outskirts of Kabul wearing billowing burqas - the full-body veils mandatory for women under the Taliban and still widely worn - the trainees will join the few existing women officers in the male-dominated force.

　　"I don't know if we will be respected by the men or not," said recruit Gulalai, a 35-year old mother of six, who like many Afghans uses only one name. "I talked with my relatives and said I need a job and this is an opportunity I don't want to miss."

　　Since her husband died five years ago from illness, Gulalai has struggled to support her family by making clothes and sewing. After completing eight weeks of training that starts on Saturday, she will earn US$70 a month - a small salary in the capital - and expects to work doing basic security duties, such as frisking females entering government buildings.

　　Police General Meerza Mohammed Yarmand, commander of the US-backed training program, said more women police were needed to work as detectives.

　　Just 92 female officers now serve in the thousands-strong force in Kabul, most in administrative jobs. None patrol the streets.

　　The new Afghan constitution signed into law last month guarantees equal rights for women, a breakthrough in the country where females still face widespread discrimination and have few opportunities in business and public life.

　　Millions of girls are also going to schools again.

　　The women signing up yesterday were all widows because they were told about the training by the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled. More than 15 women had been expected, but less than half showed up.

　　In other developments, the Afghan government is sticking to plans to hold a national election in June despite security woes and the slow pace of registering about 10.5 million eligible voters.

　　Presidential spokesman Jawed Ludin said in the month before the polls, thousands of voter registration centers would be set up in villages and districts in a "massive exercise" to ensure all those entitled can register.

　　So far, only about 8.5 percent of citizens have registered, most in Kabul and seven other cities.

　　(The Associated Press)