Civic Education Conference:

AWN with financial support of IIZ/DVV accomplished a 2 day conference on 28/29 of January from 9:00 to 3:00 in Setara Hotel Kabul city. The main purpose of conducting such conference was to strengthen Civic Education outreach programmed for women participation in civil society. Because AWN partner IIZ/DVV launched a civic education in 2003 in terms of civic education for illiterate women through AWN women committees and conducting several workshops for them.

The conference was opened by chair of independence human rights commission Dr. Seema Samar and ministry of women Affairs. The chief guests had speeches regarding women’s role and the civic education in Afghanistan.

The participants from this conference participated from UN Agencies, donor agencies, women NGOs and ministry of women affairs.

The participants of this conference were divided in groups to specify the role of AWN and other women NGOs regarding civic education. Also, there was a press conference at the end of the workshop that included medias questions answered by AWN and the civic education’s team regarding women’s education, role of AWN among women NGOs and other basic points.

Civic education (AWN Women’s Committees):

AWN’s five women’s committees have been working since 2002 in Kabul city in different areas. Each committee contains two literacy courses that provide excess for afghan women to learn, and build their skills. The literacy courses contain 20 students in each class. Awn on January 18th had meeting with department of literacy of educational ministry. The main purpose of the meeting was to receive books for the literacy courses of the women’s committee.

AWN evaluated the literacy courses of women committees. The result of this evaluation was that 85% of women and young girls in literacy courses are able to read and write and they were eager to continue the course until they smoothly learn and find job some where.

Monthly meetings;

AWN women committee representative attended monthly meeting with women’s committee in different area;

AWN met khuja boghra women committee on January 12th from 2:00 to 3:00, Quiti mosques’ women’s committee on 13th of January, yakatoot women committee on 14 of January and gula-e-park women committee on 17th of January. Each meeting contained one hour and the main agenda of the meetings with representatives of the committees were to discuss about women's issue in literacy courses. Also, women discussed role of women in loya Jirga that recently finished. AWN identified the women's ideas regarding loya Jirga. AWN women committee's had a presentation regarding child right for women presented in the meeting. The next meeting was fixed in February different dates with each women committee.

AWN production unit:

AWN in partnership with impacs produces radio programs. The radio shows contained 20 minutes segment on women and today’s society and a 10 minute segment women and the constitution, but since month January the production team with consultation of AWN and IMPACS plans to produce a replace program “women and election” instead of women and the constitution. And 6 radio segments instead of the past 20 minutes program” women and today’s society”. The 5 segment will in involved with women issues and had been specified by the title of

• women and health
• women and art
• women and education
• women and folklore
• women and family

The team is working to select a good title instead of above mentioned but the programs will contain the same issue.

AWN also had meeting with IMPACS to extend the partnership project for the year 2004.

AWN and MOWA gender training unit:

AWN in collaboration with MOWA and support of UNDP conducted Gander Development Workshop for ministry of planning and commerce from January 5-8 in MOWA. The numbers of participants were 21 containing 3 male and 18 female.

To emphasize on role of women and men as basic of gender issue in Afghanistan especially ministries staff, AWN conducted a-five day gender Awareness training for Ministry of Education on January 11-15. the participants of this training was 5 male and 17 females from the ministry that had the role to in key sections in order to transfer what they got in the training.

Parwan trainings;

AWN also conducted Gender Awareness Training in Parwan province from 6-7 of January in MOWA. The duration of the workshop was one day and the participants 7 male and 12 female from MOWA’s department.

AWN also conducted the second part of Gender Development Training (GAD) in Parwan province from 19-21. The participants were from MOWA’s department containing male and female that totally became 22 participants.

Micro finance and small business analysis/ Management and human rights training in Ghazni.

AWN training team with financial support of UNIFEM conducted a-four day workshop on Micro finance and small business analysis from January 11- 14. The number of participants was 20 male and female from executive member of women committee Ghazni province, representatives from governmental organizations and NGOs. A-3 day management training was also provided for the same participants in Ghazni province from January 12-14. AWN also conducted another 3 days workshop for the same participants regarding human rights in Ghazni. The main agenda of this workshop was to aware people on vision of human rights, child right, women right, violence against women. This program was supported by UNIFEM.

Micro finance and small business analysis workshops in Parwan province:

AWN conducted the same workshops that had been implemented in Ghazni. This workshop was for 7 days started from January 11-19, 2004. The participants in these workshops were from MOWA’s department as well as women NGOs who has activities in Parwan.

Author: Hiba Tarzi