USAID/RLS-I/Checchi Consulting

Women in Jalalabad meet to discuss legal rights of girls and women.

The practice of baad, the exchange of girls and women to resolve disputes or as payment for debt, is a traditional means of dispute resolution in many parts of Afghanistan. A lack of awareness that the practice is neither Islamic nor legal under Afghanistan law, contributes to its use.

In supporting traditional dispute resolution as a community peace-making mechanism, USAID has developed numerous educational programs designed to increase elders’ knowledge in a range of Afghan laws, including family law, which addresses the rights of girls and women. In addition, USAID sponsors community discussion sessions to explore alternatives to baad. Network meetings promote sharing of local best practice and lessons learned through USAID legal training.

More than 4,800 men and women have attended network meetings where elders raise numerous concerns. Recognizing the negative impact of baad in many communities, USAID, elders, and local officials initiated a specific workshop to address the practice. Sharia faculty members teach the workshop, which highlights baad’s illegality and long-term negative consequences to communities, and facilitates development of alternative compensatory tools.

“I’ve learned much from the seminars and workshops. They are so informative and effective, that I have now been involved in 22 decisions and none have used the practice of baad,” said Mawlawi Abdul Rahim, a well-known elder and religious scholar from Surkh Rod District in Nangarhar Province, who attended USAID workshops dealing with alternatives to baad.

In addition, USAID developed and distributed illustrated booklets tackling the issue of baad. The storyline begins with a children’s dispute, which results in one father’s killing of another. To prevent further escalation, the families discuss giving a daughter to the victim’s family. However, a respected member at a subsequent jirga, explains that baad is not allowed under Islam. The jirga then finds an alternative and a settlement is reached without resorting to baad.

Education Helps Eliminate Baad