Highlights

Four Day Visit and Female Leadership Event (The Hague, 26-29 November 2012)

Gender Concerns International, in partnership with AWN and supported by the EU, organized a four day visit to The Hague for a delegation of prominent Afghan women, including two Members of Parliament, from 26-29 November 2012. The visit included constructive discussions with Dutch and European Parliamentarians centering on the importance of female leadership in Afghanistan post-2014, pending the potential withdrawal of international troops and the expected presidential elections. The latter issues were critically discussed during a public event held on 29 November 2012 and included speakers from the EU and NATO. The guests from Afghanistan included: MP Fatima Aziz from Kunduz, MP Aziza Jalis from Sare-Pul, MP Fawzia Koofi from Badekshan together with Afghan Women Network female leader Afifa Azim and the regional representative from the Gender, Conflict and Development platform, Shukria Hassani.

Capacity Building Training, Harat, Jalalabad and Kunduz (2-11 October 2012)

In 2012, Gender Concerns International, in cooperation with the AWN, held a three-day training session to enhance capacity in advocacy work for both civil society and women’s organisations. Over sixty participants were successfully trained to deliver effective campaigns that are focused on gender sensitive issues in Afghanistan.

Consultation, Tokyo Conference (8 July 2012)

In July 2012, the AWN collaborated with Gender Concerns International to discuss the implications of the Tokyo Conference on Women in Afghanistan’s declaration. One hundred and twenty women representatives from various Afghan ministries, women’s organisations and the Parliament attended the event.

Mission to Afghanistan (March 2012)

In March 2012, the Gender Concerns International team carried out a mission to Afghanistan with the goal to consult with various stakeholders, regarding issues related to female inclusive participation in Afghanistan.

The mission saw members of the Gender Concerns International team, including Director Sabra Bano and Afghanistan Coordinator Melanie Hyde, attending meetings with its local partner, the AWN, the largest network of women’s organisations in Afghanistan. At the invitation of the Dutch Embassy in Kabul, Gender Concerns International also met with His Excellency Radinck van Vollenhoven to discuss female leadership and the role of women in the pursuit of the rule of law in Afghanistan. Important meetings were also held with Deputy Minister Palwasha Kakar, prominent female parliamentarian Ms. Farkhunda Zahra Naderi and Professor Jawida Ahmadi to discuss the issues concerning women’s full democratic participation in Afghanistan.

Conference, “Women at the Flashpoint: 2010 and Beyond” (The Hague, 14 January 2010)

In January 2010, Gender Concerns International organized a conference entitled “Women at the Flashpoint: 2010 and Beyond – Women’s Voices from Afghanistan and the Neighboring Countries” which took place at the Peace Palace in The Hague. It was organized as a follow-up to the Kabul Conference of July 2009 to raise awareness about the plight of women in the conflict zones of Afghanistan and its neighboring countries, including Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, India and Tajikistan. Over 200 participants from various governments, non-governmental and international organisations attended to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

Click here for the report.

Click here for the recommendations for the London Conference.

Initiative Support Afghanistan (2009)

In 2009, Gender Concerns International supported an initiative of the AWN that is working to empower Afghan women and ensure their equal participation in Afghan society. AWN seeks to improve the effectiveness of its members by nurturing partnerships and collaborative efforts, undertaking advocacy and lobbying programmes, as well as conducting individual capacity building programmes.

Women in Afghanistan: Regional Stakeholders Meeting (Kabul, 6-7 July 2009)

In July 2009, Gender Concerns International and the AWN organized a Regional Stakeholders Meeting in Kabul to discuss the relevance of UNSCR1325 in promoting peace, stability and development in Afghanistan and the region through the increased involvement and participation of women in Afghan socio-political contexts. Attendees also discussed the Hague Declaration and its impact on Afghanistan. Participants included women leaders from Afghanistan, Iran, India, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

This meeting resulted in the creation of two key proposals to improve the status of women in Afghanistan and the region. The first of these two items was the Kabul Declaration, a policy document created by the conference’s five participant countries to affirm a collective commitment to the meeting’s concluding objectives, including the need for women’s participation in the Peace Process, women’s political participation, International Development Assistance, security reforms from a gender perspective and the establishment of a regional monitoring body to oversee the progress of UNSCR 1325 in Afghanistan and the region. The second item was ‘the Platform’: a network of women’s organizations from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India, and Uzbekistan who would focus their efforts to ensure that actions and strategic measures are implemented to promote, endorse, and enhance the Kabul Declaration and the meeting’s conclusions.

Click here for the Kabul Declaration.

Click here and here for part 1 and 2 of the offcial aftermovie.

Gender Concerns International at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) (New York, 2-13 March, 2009)

In 2009, Gender Concerns International travelled to New York to attend the 53rd session of the CSW. The aim of the mission was to learn about the UN system and to create a female oriented approach with inclusive advocacy strategies to support its target group, women in Afghanistan, Pakistan and neighboring countries. Another goal was to create new networks and strengthen existing contacts by interacting with a wide range of women stakeholders present at the conference.

The International Conference on Afghanistan (The Hague, 31 March 2009)

The International Conference on Afghanistan: ‘A Comprehensive Strategy in a Regional Context’ had tremendous relevance and significance for Afghan policy orientation as outlined by President Obama’s administration. The International Conference focused on the analysis of the current political, security and development issues faced by the international community in Afghanistan whilst taking into account the regional context. Gender Concerns International, as a Dutch Gender and Development organisation, had been a major NGO actor involved in the preparation, implementation and monitoring processes of the Dutch National Action Plan which followed on UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325.

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