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Improving Female Participation in GIRoA

19 March 2012 | Kabul, Afghanistan

Frank Petrella/USAID

USAID Mission Director Dr. Ken Yamashita and the Afghan Minister of Finance Omar Zakhilwal launched the Women in Government Internship Program to improve the participation of women in public sector.

On Sunday, March 18, USAID Mission Director Ken Yamashita and the Minister of Finance, H.E. Omar Zakhilwal, launched the Women in Government Internship Program, formalizing a partnership between USAID and the Ministry of Finance.

The Women in Government Internship Program establishes up to 100 internship positions in the Ministry of Finance, and promotes the concept of internships/apprenticeships in Afghanistan as a way to expand job training and employment opportunities for women throughout the public sector.

The main goal of the program is for interns to transition into full-time jobs following successful completion of their internships. The program provides more opportunities for women to gain experience working with GIRoA ministries and agencies. To date, the program boasts an 83% job placement rate.

USAID’s Women in Government program strives to remove constraints on women’s potential to participate in the reconstruction process by placing recent female university graduates in six-month internships with GIRoA organizations. Improving the participation of women in public sector activities will have a transformational impact on reconstruction efforts and is vital to the overall development of Afghanistan.

“The internship program is a wonderful opportunity for the government to find dedicated workers who have the skills the government needs,” said USAID Mission Director Ken Yamashita. “We hope that this innovative gender program will be an example for other ministries to follow.”

This formal partnership follows in the wake of the immense success of USAID’s program to build female capacity and help women to find full-time jobs following graduation from undergraduate institutions.

“We are committed to enhancing the participation of graduated female workers in the Ministry of Finance and in GIRoA to play an important role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. We are pleased to partner with USAID to improve female participation in the government,” said H.E. Minister Zakhilwal.

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