Afghanistan

A pilot project

Together with the Shuhada Organization , we run a pilot project in Kabul, where we strengthen Shuhada’s ability to promote women’s grassroots rights in Afghanistan. Together, we will train local leaders among associates, activists, students and teachers at Gawharshad University (run by Shuhada). Lack of awareness of women’s rights in Afghanistan causes suffering, humiliation and marginalization of millions of women, and violates the human rights of half the population.

Purpose

The pilot project focuses on promoting women’s rights through our peer-to-peer concept, which local leaders can learn to use by leading Gender Listening Action Groups. In these groups, grassroots women and men will identify violations of women’s rights around them, address them with structural change authorities and authorities and with individuals as family members, thus promoting personal development for the women in the group and the network around the group.

Despite efforts to reduce FGM over the last years, the convention is still very prevalent and if action against the practice is further strengthened, it means that the absolute number of girls who will be cut will continue to grow if the practice continues at its current levels in Somalia and Bardera district in particular. To avert this widespread of women and child rights, Listeners without Borders (LWB) and Safer Aid Initiatives (SAI) are contributing to eliminating the practice by further strengthening the knowledge and awareness of the local communities through a set of training and vigorous community awareness and sensitization. This will be achieved through training, engaging trained change champions, use of IEC materials, in-school sessions, and sporting activities. The target group is women and men a total of 11,000 people.

Future plans

After the pilot, we want a business where 14-20 leaders are recruited every year, and gain knowledge about women’s rights and training in listening, supporting and leading for change.