Announcement

International Women’s Day 2008

Investing in Women and Shaping Progress

 | Saturday, March 08, 2008

Photo: USAID

Journalist covering the opening of the Balkh Dairy Plant in Mazar-e-Sharif, September 2007.

International Women’s Day on March 8 commemorates the struggles and honors the achievements of women around the world.  To help support women in Afghanistan, the United States Congress, representing the American people, passed legislation to allocate $75 million for programs that directly benefit the female population of Afghanistan.  This investment improves health care, increases opportunities for education and economic development, and strengthens legal rights for the women of Afghanistan.

Over the past seven years, Afghanistan has seen an increase in the empowerment of women as active members of their communities.  The United States has helped facilitate the growth of nearly 200 democratically-elected Community Development Councils for women and supported the development of 180 female youth committees whose members engage in community development and service projects.  Women make up 30% of the student body of the American University of Afghanistan, and 35% of the five million students enrolled in primary and secondary schools are girls.  Through USAID programs, 76 female judges have been trained and given the tools necessary to officiate over the courts, manage cases, and provide due process in the courts, leading to more effective and transparent rule of law.  Additionally, USAID has provided professional media training for 185 female journalists.

To improve the economic status of women, assistance from the American people helps Afghan women succeed in business – 39 women’s enterprises participated at the Badakshan Agricultural Fair in October 2007, 185 women entrepreneurs collaborated to establish the Eastern Region Handicraft Center, and more than 500 widows have established home-based businesses throughout the country.  USAID has fostered the growth of over 400 self-help savings and investment groups for women. The Afghan Women’s Business Federation has 20,000 members nationwide who are learning to run businesses, market products, and improve the quality of their goods.  

Rangina Hamidi of Kandahar Treasure, which received start-up funding from USAID, was named one of this year’s recipients of the CNN Heroes award for her efforts in fighting for justice and advancing the cause of women’s rights in Afghanistan.  Kandahar Treasure is the largest woman-owned Kamak embroidery business in the country and employs 400 home-based embroiderers to support a rapidly growing international market of high-end women’s clothing.  According to Hamidi, “The other women and I dedicated to this project know that working is the only real alternative to insecurity…We women have taken it upon ourselves to stitch the future of peace for our children.  Embroidery is the skill we have, and love and patience is what we can give to our families and our country. We will work to help rebuild this war-torn nation.”