The US State Department on Wednesday appointed a special envoy and a senior advisor to support the department’s work on behalf of Afghan women, girls and human rights in Afghanistan.

Rina Amiri has been appointed the Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, and Stephenie Foster has been appointed as a Senior Advisor, the State Department said in a statement.

State Secretary Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that Amiri as the special envoy “will work on issues of critical importance to me, this Administration, and US national security: the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women, girls, and other at-risk populations in all of their diversity.”

Blinken said the new appointments are aimed to help the Afghan women to participate in social and political life in their country. “We desire a peaceful, stable, and secure Afghanistan, where all Afghans can live and thrive in political, economic, and social inclusivity. Special Envoy Amiri will work closely with me toward that goal,” Blinken said.

Foster was appointed as the new senior advisor for women and girls’ issues within the State Department’s Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) team. Foster has previously worked for the US State Department.

Amiri served as a US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan during the Obama administration. She also served as a member of the UN Secretary General’s political team in Afghanistan during the course of the implementation of the Bonn Agreement.