Sole female governor breaks down barriers

Surrounded by male advisers and condescending "mansplainers", Masooma Muradi holds her own against a deep undersell of sexism in a society unaccustomed to women exercising authority.

Breaking new ground as Afghanistan's only female governor, Muradi's ascent to the top post in remote Daikundi province is a remarkable feat in Afghanistan, where stubborn patriarchal traditions are at odds with progressive ideas about a woman's place in the world.

But barely a year after President Ashraf Ghani appointed Muradi, her job hangs by a thread, with growing calls for her ouster from religious conservatives and opponents.