KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Unemployment for Afghan women continues to be a challenge. However, the United States Agency for International Development Mission in Afghanistan (USAID) and the Government of Afghanistan are working together to help with the issue.

Today, USAID’s Promote: Women in Government project conducted a civil service Jobs Fair to identify career opportunities for women in the government sector. The event brought together approximately 500 women who have all undergone a 12-month internship program focusing on multi-level intensive training for employment in the civil service to meet with more than 50 officials from 25 government ministries and independent agencies.

During the fair, the interns interfaced with government representatives, inquiring about application procedures, employee qualifications and professional growth opportunities in their organizations. More than 1,000 job vacancies were presented by the government agencies.

In consonance with a new government civil service regulation, the interns did not directly apply for those vacancies since recruitment is now centralized at the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC). The interns did, however, present their resumes to the government representatives, who assured them that they will be contacted once IARCSC announces the recruitment for those vacancies.

“This is an important step for these women who have been part of our USAID Promote Women in Government program to understand how this process works and to explore the possibilities of working for their government,” said USAID Mission Director Herbie Smith. “These women show enormous courage and ambition to not only complete the internship program, but to prepare themselves for gainful employment to help their families and have a bright future.”

USAID Promote: Women in Government conducts a one-year internship program for women to prepare them for careers in the civil service. More than 1,700 female college and high school graduates have participated in the training in Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kandahar and Nangarhar. From these, 118 have completed the rigorous 12-month training and 36 have found permanent full-time government employment.

With almost $17 billion spent on development programs in Afghanistan since 2002, USAID provides the largest bilateral civilian assistance program to Afghanistan. USAID partners with the government and people of Afghanistan to ensure economic growth led by the country’s private sector, to establish a democratic and capable state governed by the rule of law, and to provide basic health and education services for all Afghans.

• Press Release - USAID Conducts Civil Service Job Fair for Afghan Women (Dari)
• Press Release - USAID Conducts Civil Service Job Fair for Afghan Women (Pashto)