Afghanistan Women Council

Afghan Women Weekly/Cultural Activities

The first monthly 8 page newspaper in two languages (Dari and Pushtu) was established in 1994 and is ongoing. This newspaper mainly reflects AWC activities in various fields such as human rights abuses, women’s rights issues, the plight of Afghan refugees in camps, and displacement. This newspaper also publishes ideas, suggestions of women, features

Human Rights, Women’s Rights and Peace Development Activities

AWC has participated in human rights, peace-building, and democracy conferences, workshops and seminars regarding Afghan women’s issues since 1993 around the world. AWC offers training courses in human rights, women’s rights, peace-building, democracy and management to Afghan women in the refugee environment in Peshawar as well as in Afghanistan. AWC held seminars and workshops to increase women’s awareness of their rights and to unite them to make their voice stronger. This would enable them to make inroads in securing their rights in society from the family level on up to the high positions in government. AWC continues to work for peace and democracy. They motivated women to participate in the presidential election and now motivate men and women to participate in the parliamentary election. Women are urged to support the female candidates to have representation in the parliament.

AWC has informed President Karzai and cabinet members of violations and injustices against human rights and women’s rights. Several meetings were held with high ranking authorities regarding the national and international issues with the various Ministers.

AWC provides regular reports on human rights abuses in Afghanistan, and appeals to the international community, United Nations, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations around the world. AWC ran a project on human rights awareness for 100 women in Kabul during the past year and will continue the project for two more years for 200 women in Kabul.

AWC seeks financial and professional support from individuals and institutions in realization of its objective, while safeguarding its sovereignty and independence. AWC is accountable to its partners and communities through periodic and annual progress and financial reports and regular evaluation of its activities.

Madam Gailani attended a one day seminar for Parliament.

AWC’s Staff Training and Participation in International Seminars, Workshops and Women’s Gatherings

Afghanistan Women Council gives emphasis to its staff’s opportunity for growth. It has provided its staff with various training in the fields of Micro-Finance, MF Management, Office Management, Women’s Leadership, Accounting, Social Organization, and Gender Issues, etc. Some were sent to New Delhi to participate in seminars and workshops. AWC itself held many seminars and workshop in Kabul to give awareness to Afghans, especially women, to urge participation in the presidential and parliamentary elections. 900 women were taught human rights, women’s and children’s rights, peace development, psychosocial support and counseling, child care, parenting, basic education, environment protection, and more in the AWC offices in and around Kabul. Big groups came together and registered.

Micro-Finance Program

AWC is already running a Micro-Finance Program for 300 women and that will go up to 1000 women by the end of the year. Widows and the most vulnerable women are targeted beneficiaries of the program. The MF program is ongoing in three areas of Kabul; Ben e Hesar, Deh Afghanan and Qal e Musa. These 300 women whom trained in various skills are now running their own businesses and supporting their families. They will receive a second and third loan which will be more then the first one. According to the women, their economic needs have been fulfilled to some extent and will be fully achieved when they receive the second and third loans.

Establishment of a Research Center for Afghan Women

This center was established in 2000 under the cultural section of AWC to undertake profound and widespread research on the political, social, economic and cultural spheres of Afghan women’s lives.

Over the years, Afghan women were deprived from their basic human rights and lacked recognition of their rights by the various governments in place. Therefore, AWC decided to establish a research center in order to increase awareness of this issue and to research how Afghan women can effectively regain their rights in accordance with Islam, Afghan culture, and traditions. Thus Afghan women will be in a situation to be actively involved in all areas of life.

The first research magazine will be published on these topics as soon as the proposal for this project is approved in 2005.

This center holds regular round table discussions with the active participation of women to discuss and evaluate historical major events, human rights, and women rights. Reports of these discussions are published in "Zani-e-Afghan" (The Afghan Woman Weekly) and their appeals are passed on to the international community.

Pakistan:

Aryana High School

The school was established in Munda Afghan Refugee camp, NWFP, Pakistan. It was originally called Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi with 150 students, which increased to 600 students in 1986. In 1992 when the political situation in Afghanistan changed, the refugees went back home and the camp became empty. In 1993, as a result of internal fighting in Kabul most people migrated back to Peshawar. AWC decided to re-open the same school using the name of Aryana High School for the refugee children in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar city where the two big camps of Nasir Bagh and Kacha Gari and a few small camps such as Taj Abad, Akhtar Abad, Gul Abad, and Imran Abad are located.

Aryana High School is located in phase III, Hayatabad, Peshawar. 300 girls and boys graduated in three terms in 2000 and 2001. Currently, 2500 students (girls and boys) are studying in this school without any charge. The orphan students, who lost their fathers in the US strike on Afghanistan are provided with uniforms and stationary by AWC. Families of the same children are supplied with enough food for one-month, clothes and non-food items for winter.

Mother and Child Health Clinic

The clinic was established in 1986 in Shaheen Town, Peshawar. It shifted to the Hayatabad area where two big and a few small refugee camps are located in 1993. Over 8,000 children and 7,206 women have received treatment so far and more than 17,000 patients received vaccinations in 2004 which is still ongoing. Two Afghan doctors, two nurses, one administrator, a pharmacist, a laborer and a guard are working at this center. The clinic started its operations for Afghan Refugees in September, 2002. This clinic was financially supported by the International Mercy Corps. (IMC) but presently has no donor. The clinic is still working and providing treatment for more than 100 mothers and children daily.

Future Plans

Mobile Clinic

AWC operated a temporary mobile clinic in the various Afghan Refugee camps in Pakistan since 1986. Based on that experience and due to the lack of health facilities, they have now agreed with certain donors to start a similar mobile clinic in areas around Kabul.

The mobile team will conduct MCH surveys during RH services in the camps and health education that focuses on PHC and MCH including other RH issues. The project is going to be further expanded to activities that would strengthen the overall role of AWC’s health program in the year 2005/6. During mobile unit visits around Kabul, women and their partners will receive STI treatment and condoms. MCH clinic health education sessions will focus on safe delivery at home, promotion of assisted delivery in a health facility, obstetric emergency referral system, child spacing, and STI/HIV/AIDS prevention involving women and girls. Pregnant women in their 3rd trimester and/or their birth attendants will receive clean delivery kits. This project will start its work with the Nazo Ana Hospital in Qala e Fatullah, Kabul, which is AWC’s registered hospital.

Micro-Finance Program

AWC has plans to further expand the MF program to the four big cities of Afghanistan, Kanadahar, Mazar, Jalalabad and Herat. This project will support 4000 women to run their own businesses. As soon as the donor approves the proposal the project will start.

References: Amnesty International UK, USA, Canada, Spain, Japan, Pakistan and Afghanistan and Peace Department of the McMaster University, Canada.