22 JUNE 2011

 

USAID works with community development councils and other eligible grassroots organizations to implement small-scale community-level projects in 14 provinces in the north, west, and central regions of Afghanistan.

As a part of USAID’s efforts to create a link between communities and local government, the USAID-funded Women’s Mentoring Program in Baghlan Province worked in cooperation with the Baghlan Provincial Line Department of Women’s Affairs to enhance women’s knowledge on Islamic issues, women’s rights, government regulations, civil rights, conflict resolution, and violence against women. The eight-week program, which included a total of 480 women, was successfully completed on May 11, 2011.

 

The mentoring program successfully boosted ties between women in the community and local government. The training played an effective role in bringing stability and bridging the gap between a previously underserved population and the government.

 

Rahima Zarifi, director of the Provincial Line Department of Women’s Affairs commended USAID’s efforts in empowerment of women in Baghlan Province and emphasized that those efforts play a vital role in advancing women’s knowledge of the world around them. She added, “Women are in dire need of capacity building and such programs play a fundamental role in uplifting and empowering women and improving their self-sufficiency and competence to respond to the needs of their families and communities and take an active part in social services and in the rehabilitation of their country.”

 

The program was warmly welcomed by the local government and the communities as a high-impact initiative that would help increase the knowledge and understanding of local women. The Provincial Line Department of Women Affairs gave USAID a letter expressing gratitude for the successful implementation of the program and commended the efforts made for the empowerment of women in Baghlan Province.