Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organization
NAP 1325 Monitor Monitoring Cycle 5: May – August 2018
October 2018
Project Report
Acknowledgments
This monitoring report is part of the project “NAP 1325 Monitor”, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
About NAP 1325 Monitor The specific objectives of the NAP 1325 Monitor are to: 1. Report changes in operating environment for implementing NAP 1325 and report negative and positive changes for action and learning on a 4-monthly basis. Monitoring is carried out using a standardized methodology based on a comprehensive set of indicators developed from the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325), subsequent related resolutions, and Afghanistan’s NAP 1325. 2. Generate practical policy recommendations for interventions by civil society and the government on meeting WPS objectives as specified in UNSCR 1325 and Afghanistan’s NAP 1325. 3. Disseminate information from the monitoring and related thematic research to national and international audiences with a focus on the WPS agenda in Afghanistan.
About APPRO Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organization (APPRO) is an independent social research organization with a mandate to promote social and policy learning to benefit development and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and other less developed countries through conducting applied research and monitoring, evaluations, training and mentoring. APPRO is registered with the Ministry of Economy (MoEc) in Afghanistan as a non-profit, non-government organization, headquartered in Kabul, Afghanistan with offices in Mazar-e Sharif (north), Herat (west), Kandahar (south), Jalalabad (east), and Bamyan (center). APPRO is the founding member of APPRO-Europe, registered in Belgium. APPRO also acts as the Secretariat for the National Advocacy Committee for Public Policy (NAC-PP). For more information on APPRO, see: www.appro.org.af. For more information on APPRO-Europe, see: www.appro-europe.net. For more information on NAC-PP, see: www.nac-pp.net.
Contact: [email protected]
About the Researchers The following researchers (in alphabetical order) contributed to this report: Ahmad Shaheer Anil, Fareba Ayob, Enayat Bashardost, Samad Ebrahimi, Ahmadullah Hamta, Ehsanullah Khalili, Fatima Khavari, Mohammad Sabir Khaibar, Saeed Parto, Bashir Quraishi, Hasan Raha, Mohammad Anwar Rahimi, Marzia Rahmani, Hikmatullah Ramin, Alamuddin Rizwan, Ehsan Saadat, Zarghona Saify, Lema Sakhizai, Yaser Talibzada, Adila Yadgar.
Ahmadullah Hamta, Hasan Raha, and Ehsan Saadat authored this report.
APPRO takes full responsibility for all omissions and errors.
© 2018. Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organization. Some rights reserved. This publication may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted only for non-commercial purposes and with written credit to APPRO and links to APPRO’s website at www.appro.org.af. Any other use of this publication requires prior written permission, which may be obtained by writing to: [email protected]
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List of Abbreviation AIHRC Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission ANDMA Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority ANP Afghan National Police APPRO Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organization AWN Afghan Women’s Network CSO Civil Society Organization DoAIL Directorate of Agriculture Irrigations and Livestock DoEd Directorate of Education DoHRA Directorate of Hajj and Religious Affairs DoLSA Directorate of Labor and Social Affairs DoPH Directorate of Public Health DoRR Directorate of Refugee and Repatriations DoWA Directorate of Women Affairs DRC Danish Refugee Council DRRD Department of Rural Rehabilitation and Development ECW Empowerment Center for Women EPD Equality for Peace and Democracy EVAW Elimination of Violence Against Women FRU Family Response Unit HPC High Peace Council HRC Human Rights Commission IARCSC Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Services Commission IDP Internally Displaced Persons IEC Independent Election Commission MoEc Ministry of Economy MoFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MoI Ministry of Interior MoJ Ministry of Justice MoWA Ministry of Women Affairs NAC-PP National Advocacy Committee for Public Policy NAP National Action Plan NDS National Directorate of Security NGO Non-government Organization NPO Norwegian Project Office NRC Norwegian Refugee Council PEW Office of Peace and Equality for Women UNSCR United Nations Security Council Resolution WAW Women for Afghan Women WPS Women, Peace and Security
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Table of Contents Acknowledgments ...... 2 Introduction ...... 5 Objectives, Methodology and Scope ...... 6 Findings ...... 8 Awareness of NAP 1325...... 8 Security Situation ...... 8 Participation ...... 9 Achievements ...... 14 Setbacks ...... 16 Protection ...... 19 Achievements ...... 22 Setbacks ...... 24 Prevention...... 26 Achievements ...... 27 Setbacks ...... 28 Relieve and Recovery ...... 30 Achievements ...... 34 Setbacks ...... 36 Conclusion ...... 38 Recommendation ...... 39 Government of Afghanistan...... 39 Civil Society and International Community ...... 39 Appendix 1: Indicators ...... 41 Appendix 2: References and Coding ...... 43
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Introduction
In October 2000, after decades of advocacy, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) recognizing the disproportionate impact that war and conflicts have on women and children. While having become victims of armed conflict, women’s role in the process of preventing and managing conflicts has been minimal and overlooked by relevant authorities. UNSCR 1325 was intended to respond to the changing nature of warfare, in which civilians are increasingly targeted, and to women’s general exclusion from participation in peace and security processes. It also emphasizes that peace and security efforts are likely to be more sustainable when women are equal partners in the prevention of violent conflict and the delivery of relief and recovery efforts.1
National Action Plans (NAP) have been developed by various national governments to localize the implementation of UNSCR 1325. Afghanistan committed to UNSCR 1325 in June 2015 with the launching its National Action Plan (NAP 1325).2 Afghanistan’s NAP 1325 was developed to respond to urgent need for the Afghan society to adopt an inclusive and participatory approach in the prevention policy processes and conflict management and create a new space for effective participation of women in peace processes, security and development.
In statements on peace making with the Taliban in early 2018, President Ashraf Ghani has raised the importance of assurances of women’s involvement in the peace process.3 Afghan women, however, remain skeptical, with only half believing that peace is possible without the fear of losing recent progress in women’s rights and expanded opportunities.4
Regardless of the many challenges confronting women and advocates of their equal rights, NAP 1325 represents a new impetus toward ensuring women’s participation in peace and security decision-making and greater representation by women in public affairs, elections, development, employment, and access to justice and social services. The unit responsible for developing and monitoring Afghanistan’s NAP 1325 is the Steering Committee headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). NAP 1325 contains an overview of related laws and policies, such as the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law, the Family Law, and numerous constitutional provisions. It is organized under the four pillars of Participation, Protection, Prevention and Relief and Recovery. These pillars include 39 indicators and 25
1 Weingarten, E., & Hilal, L. (2015, March 3). A Step Forward for Afghan Women? Retrieved February 2018, from ForeignPolicy.com: https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/03/03/a-step-forward-for-afghan-women/. See also: United States Institute of Peace. (n.d.). What is UNSCR 1325? Retrieved February 2018, from usip.org at: https://www.usip.org/gender_peacebuilding/about_UNSCR_1325. Also: Women's International League of Peace and Freedom. (n.d.). NATIONAL ACTION PLAN: AFGHANISTAN. Retrieved February 2018, from Peacewomen.org at: https://www.peacewomen.org/action-plan/national-action-plan-afghanistan 2 Human Rights Watch. (2016, January 12). Afghanistan: Set Out Concrete Plan to Involve Women. Retrieved February 2018, from hrw.org: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/01/12/afghanistan-set-out-concrete-plan- involve-women 3 Dewan, A. (2018, March 1). Women must be in 'every part' of Taliban peace process, Afghan President says. Retrieved March 2018, from edition.cnn.com: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/01/asia/afghanistan-ghani- taliban-intl/index.html 4 Haidary, M. S. (2018, February 14). Afghan Women Pessimistic on Peace Talks with Taliban. Retrieved March 2018, from asiafoundation.org: https://asiafoundation.org/2018/02/14/afghan-women-pessimistic-peace-talks- taliban/ 5 www.appro.org.af strategic objectives. Since its release in June 2015, there have been two official progress reports by MoFA detailing accomplishments to date and anticipated next steps in the implementation process.5 This report contains the findings from the fifth round of data collection in 12 provinces (29 districts) throughout Afghanistan to establish accomplishments and setbacks to date toward the implementation of NAP 1325.
A baseline assessment was completed in March 2017 to establish the existing conditions for women’s rights in Afghanistan based on the available information and additional primary data collected by APPRO. This was followed by three subsequent monitoring reports, Cycle 2 (May – August 2017), Cycle 3 (September – December 2017) and Cycle 4 (January – April 2018). Data for this fifth round of monitoring were collected between June 1 and August 31, 2018.
Objectives, Methodology and Scope
The objective of these monitoring reports is to evaluate the conditions for women and achievements/setbacks in the implementation of NAP 1325. Achievements and setbacks in each province are grouped under the Participation, Protection, Prevention, and Relief and Recovery pillars of NAP 1325.
Data were collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions in rural and urban districts in 12 provinces (Table 1). These provinces were selected to ensure heterogeneity in the social, economic, political and security conditions.
Table 1: Breakdown of Provinces and Districts Province Districts Balkh Mazar-e-Sharif, Khulm, Balkh Bamyan Bamyan Center, Shibar, Yakawlang Daikundi Nili, Shahristan Herat Herat Center, Karukh, Ghoriyan Kabul Kabul Center, Istalif, Khak Jabbar Kandahar Kandahar Center, Arghandab, Daman Khost Matun, Mando Zayi, Nader Shah Kot Kunduz Kunduz Center, Imam Sahib, Aliabad Laghman Mehtarlam, Qarghayi Nangarhar Jalalabad, Kama, Surkhrod Nimruz Zaranj, Chakhansur, Kang Samangan Samangan Center, Aibak, Hazrat Sultan
Semi-structured individual interviews, focus group discussions, and a quantitative survey questionnaire were used for the collection of monitoring data. Data collection instruments were designed based on indicators under the Participation, Protection, Prevention, and Relief and Recovery pillars of NAP 1325
5 Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). (2016). Status Report on the Afghanistan’s National Action Plan on UNSCR 1325 (Women, Peace and Security). Retrieved March 2018, from mfa.gov.af: https://www.mfa.gov.af/reports- and-documents/2016-status-report-on-the-afghanistan-s-national-action-plan-on-unscr-1325-women-peace- and-security.html 6 www.appro.org.af
(Appendix 1). The findings are presented with reference to specific data sources, using the coding keys described in Appendix 2.
A total of 751 individuals were engaged for this monitoring cycle consisting of 97 females and 188 males who were interviewed as key informants, and 236 females and 230 males who participated in focus group discussions. These individuals were selected from government units that have specific NAP 1325 mandates as well as civil society organizations that undertake activities related to gender equality.
This report is organized as follow. The next section reports on qualitative and quantitative findings on the awareness of the National Action Plan 1325, followed by changes in the security situation, across all twelve provinces. Findings from the quantitative survey data, and qualitative data collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions are then presented according to the four pillars of NAP 1325, followed by the conclusion and recommendations. Quantitative findings presented in charts are not statistically significant and presented as illustrations. In cases of quantitative data contradicting qualitative findings, precedence is given to qualitative findings.
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Findings
Awareness of NAP 1325
Almost all interviewees and focus group respondents in Khost, Kunduz and Samangan were aware of UNSCR 1325 and NAP 1325.6 The majority of respondents in Khost province have attended several awareness programs on NAP 1325. In Kabul, Balkh and Herat, the majority of the respondents have a good understanding of UNSCR 1325 and the NAP 1325 due to awareness programs conducted by government and non-government organizations.7 However, a notable number of respondents in these provinces are still unaware of NAP 1325.8
Awareness on NAP 1325 remains low in Bamyan and Daikundi.9 Meanwhile, consistent with the previous monitoring cycle, the majority of the interviewees and focus group respondents in Kandahar, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Nimruz provinces remains partially unaware of UNSCR 1325 and NAP 1325.10 Insecurity is believed to be a major factor in limiting access to awareness initiatives on NAP 1325 in Nangarhar and Laghman provinces.11
Security Situation
Most interviewees and focus group respondents in Khost and Laghman believed that there have been remarkable improvements in the security situation in their provinces during the last four months. Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and suicide attacks have decreased in the provincial center and Qarabagh district of Laghman province.12 Increased cooperation by the public and local community councils with security forces and changes in the leadership of provincial police headquarters were stated as the main reasons for improvements in security.13
The majority of the respondents in Herat believes that the security situation has improved in the provincial center and some of the districts. There has been an increase in public cooperation with security forces and a positive change in the leadership of security forces in this province.14 In Daikundi, the security situation has deteriorated in Kijran, Nawmesh, and Pato districts, while there have not been any changes in the provincial center and Shahristan district.15 In Bamyan, there have not been any noticeable changes in the security situation. The security situation is stable in the provincial center and Yakawlang district while there have been some threats in Shibar and Kahmard districts. The transportation route connecting the capital to Bamyan province remains insecure.16
6 KI-M-KHO-GO-1, confirmed by: 43 KIs and 8 FGDs in Khost, Kunduz and Samangan. 7 KI-F-KAB-GO-2, confirmed by: 30 KIs and 8 FGDs in Kabul and Balkh. 8 KI-F-KAB-NG-3, confirmed by: 25 KIs and 7 FGDs in Kabul and Balkh. 9 KI-M-BAM-NG-2, confirmed by: 25 KIs and 6 FGDs in Bamyan and Daikundi. 10 KI-M-KAN-GO-1, confirmed by: 35 KIs and 10 FGDs in Kandahar, Nimruz and Laghman. 11 KI-M-LAG-G-1, confirmed by: 36 KIs and 9 FGDs in Laghman and Nangarhar. 12 KI-M-LAG-G-1, confirmed by: 13 KIs and 3 FGDs in Laghman. 13 KI-M-KHO-GO-1, confirmed by: 20 KIs and 5 FGDs in Khost. 14 KI-M-KAB-NG-6, confirmed by: 19 KIs and 3 FGDs in Kabul. 15 KI-F-DAI-PI-4, confirmed by: 16 KIs and 4 FGDs in Daikundi. 16 KI-F-BAM-GO-6, confirmed by: 18 KIs and 1 FGDs in Bamyan. 8 www.appro.org.af
A majority of the interviewees and focus group respondents in Kunduz believe that there have not been any positive changes in the security situation of the province. There are reports of an increase in the number of assassinations and abductions, and nighttime telecommunication restrictions.17 Similarly, an increase in target killings and IED attacks is reported from Kandahar. In Nimruz, there has been an increase in abductions and activities of armed opposition groups.18
In Samangan views about security are divided with some reporting improvements while others expressed concerns about an increase in criminal activities such as abduction, robbery, and murder.19
Participation
The Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Services Commission (IARCSC) appears to have been successful in efforts to increase the presence and role of women in the civil service. In Kabul, IARCSC reports a commitment to increase opportunities for women by two percent, through launching a work plan.20
In Kabul, the Attorney General’s Office has increased the quota for female employees to five percent.21 In Balkh, an entrance test and fair competition policy has been introduced to increase the number of women entering the civil service. Other initiatives to increase women’s participation in Balkh are a five percent advantage for female applicants. The Mazar-e Sharif Municipality has initiated a women-only tourism department in a bid to interest women in work in tourism and to promote tourism.22
In Herat, a new policy to increase women’s participation in the civil service has been ratified in the past four months.23 The outcomes of this policy remain to be seen. A similar policy in Kandahar, to increase women’s participation in the civil service by awarding female applicants with advantage points in entrance exams and reducing working hours for women, has not had tangible results.
Awareness and capacity building programs by the PROMOTE project and international organizations have reportedly contributed to an increase in the number of women applying for civil service positions.24 In Bamyan, Daikundi, Nangarhar, Khost, and Kunduz provinces, there has not been any policy or initiative to increase women’s participation in the civil service.25
In Nimruz, there have been awareness programs, establishment of a gender committee, and a positive discrimination policy toward women among the initiatives to increase women’s participation.26 For example, IARCSC’s policy to increase the number of women in the civil service was not referenced by the
17 KI-M-Kun-NG-1, confirmed by: 17 KIs and 3 FGDs in Kunduz. 18 FGD-M-KAN-GO-1, confirmed by: 15 KIs and 4 FGDs in Kandahar and Nimruz. 19 KI-M-Sam-NG-1, confirmed by: 5 KIs and 2 FGDs in Samangan. 20 KI-M-KAB-GO-5, Confirmed by 5 KIs in Kabul. 21 KI-F-KAB-GO-2, confirmed by: 4 KIs and 1 FGD in Kabul. 22 KI-M- Bal -NG-2, confirmed by: 15 KIs and 4 FGDs in Nangarhar and Balkh. 23 KI-M-KAB-GO-19, confirmed by: 14 KIs and 2 FGDs in Kabul. 24 KI-M-KAN-GO-1, confirmed by: 11 KIs and 3 FGDs in Kandahar. 25 KI-M-BAM-GO-3, confirmed by: 48 KIs and 12 FGDs in Bamyan, Daikundi, Nangarhar and Kunduz. 26 KI-M-NIM-GO-13, confirmed by: 10 KIs and 3 FGDs in Nimruz. 9 www.appro.org.af respondents from Laghman and Samangan. Local women’s committees were reported to be active in strengthening the role of women in Samangan, however.27
In Kabul, an increase in women’s employment was reported, due mainly to a recruitment drive by the Independent Elections Commission (IEC) and the Election Complaint Commission (ECC).28 The vast majority of the women are not prepared to work in rural or remote districts.
In Bamyan, Herat, and Samangan provinces, there has been an improvement in women’s positions in the civil service sector and government institutions.29 More women have been appointed in leadership positions in Herat.30
Table 1: Number of Women Recruited to Civil Service Positions Provinces DoEd DoWA DoLSAMD DoRR DoPH DoI Kunduz - - 1 1 4 - Laghman ------Nangarhar ------Nimruz - - - - - 5 Samangan - 3 2 - - 5 Kabul 2 - - - 4 - Balkh - 1 - - 1 - Kandahar - - 4 - - - Herat - - 1 - 1 3 Daikundi 1 1 - - - - Bamyan 4 - - 1 3 1 Khost ------
As indicated in Table 1, women have been recruited to civil service positions in different departments across the twelve provinces. However, most departments have reported that they have not recruited any women during the past four months. Among the provinces, Samangan stands at the top of the list with a total of ten women recruited to different departments. The Police Headquarters of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) have recruited the most women across all provinces.
In Balkh, although a number of women have been appointed to high-level positions in the Mazar-e- Sharif Municipality and district offices, the majority is heavily concentrated in education and health sectors. The I/NGOs employ the bulk of the working women in Balkh.31 In Kunduz, only low-level positions are occupied by women in government institutions, including the IEC.32
27 KI-M-Sam-GO-12, confirmed by: 14 KIs and 3 FGDs in Samangan. 28 KI-M-KAB-GO-19, confirmed by: 10 KIs and 2 FGDs in Kabul. 29 KI-F-BAM-GO-6, confirmed by: 52 KIs and 10 FGDs in Bamyan, Kabul and Samangan. 30 KI-M-KAB-NG-6, confirmed by: 14 KIs and 2 FGDs in Kabul. 31 KI-M- Bal -GO-7, confirmed by: 17 KIs and 5 FGDs in Balkh. 32 KI-M-Kun-NG-6, confirmed by: 9 KIs and 2 FGDs in Kunduz. 10 www.appro.org.af
In Kandahar, Laghman, and Nangarhar provinces insecurity, traditional conservatism, and low salaries are listed as the main reasons for the low participation of women in the civil service.33 In Daikundi and Nimruz, there were no changes in women’s positions during the past four months. A small number of women have been hired in education and health sectors only.34 An increase in the number of employment opportunities for women has been reported in Khost and Kunduz provinces.35
Respondents in Samangan are optimistic about the changes in workplace environment such as improved complaints and appraisal mechanisms and better transportation and sanitation facilities during the past four months.36 Government-initiated awareness raising campaigns are pointed to as a main reason for improvements in the workplace in Khost.37 In Kabul and Balkh provinces, no improvements in the workplace environment are reported for the past four months, despite the establishment of complaint and appraisal mechanisms, separate sanitation facilities, kindergarten, and transportation services having been available for some time.38 In Bamyan, Daikundi, Nangarhar, Nimruz and Kunduz provinces, the workplace environment remains unchanged and there are complaints about inadequate transportation, sanitation, and other facilities for women.39
In Herat, there are reports of breaches in confidentiality in the complaints mechanism. However, measures have been taken to minimize harassments through such initiatives as installing half-glass doors at the offices and improved sanitation.40 From Kandahar, there are complaints about the absence of a complaints mechanisms and lack of adequate separate sanitation facilities.41
Table 2: Number of Cases of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Reported Provinces DoEd DoWA DoLSAMD DoRR DoPH DoI Kunduz - - - - - Laghman ------Nangarhar ------Nimruz ------Samangan - 1 - - - - Kabul ------Balkh ------Kandahar ------Herat - - - - - 2 Daikundi ------Bamyan ------Khost ------
33 KI-F-KAN-PI-1, confirmed by 13 KIs and 8 FGDs in Kandahar, Laghman and Nangarhar. 34 KI-F-NIM-GO-4, confirmed by: 7 KIs and 5 FGDs in Daikundi and Nimruz. 35 KI-M-KUN-NG-1, confirmed by: 17 KIs and 5 FGDs in Kunduz and Khost. 36 KI-M-Sam-GO-12, confirmed by: 9 KIs and 2 FGDs in Samangan. 37 KI-M-KHO-GO-1, confirmed by: 12 KIs and 6 FGDs in Khost. 38 KI-F-BAL-GO-6, confirmed by: 18 KIs and 7 FGDs in Kabul and Balkh. 39 KI-M-NAN-GO-12, confirmed by: 47 KIs and 14 FGDs in Daikundi, Nimruz, Nangarhar, Kunduz, and Bamyan. 40 KI-F-HER-GO-4, confirmed by: 17 KIs and 6 FGDs in Herat. 41 FGD-F-KAN-GO-3, confirmed by: 8 KIs and 3 FGDs in Kandahar. 11 www.appro.org.af
Representatives of key government institutions (Table 2) were asked to provide data on cases of sexual harassment at workplace. Reporting of cases of sexual harassment at workplace is very rare. Only one case was reported at the Department of Women’s Affairs (DoWA) of Samangan, and two cases were reported in the Police Headquarters of Herat.
In Kabul, Laghman, Herat, and Nangarhar provinces, women are provided incentive pay and scholarships abroad.42 In Khost, there are reports of increased women’s participation in the security sector, in part as a result of measures by the government to provide equitable salary and facilitaties to accommodate women requiring to be accompanied by their mahrams.43
In Bamyan, GIZ and UNAMA have had programs to encourage women’s participation in the security sector.44 Similarly, there have been activities through the PROMOTE project to increase women’s participation in the security forces in Kunduz and Nimruz.45 In Samangan, AIHRC and the police hold monthly programs to encourage women’s participation in the security sector.46 Police headquarters in Nimruz has sent letters to the directorates of Education and Labor and Social Affairs, seeking their assistance for recruiting more women in the security sector.47
Except for Khost, Laghman and Nangarhar, in all other provinces patriarchy, traditional conservatism, nepotism, and women’s lower level of education are cited as the main barriers to women occupying leadership positions.
In Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Daikundi, Kunduz, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Samangan, the Department of Women’s Affairs, UNAMA, NGOs, and the provincial High Peace Council (HPC) offices have conducted programs to encourage women’s participation in the peace process.48 Although opinions are divided, the majority of the respondents in Kabul reported a positive change in the number of women involved with HPC at the policy level. HPC female members, women’s rights activists, and NGOs have been actively participating in drafting HPC’s strategy.49
A number of women from Kandahar and Bamyan provinces have attended the National Consultation Conference and other peace-related programs in Kabul. The number of women in the provincial HPC office of Kandahar and provincial peace committee of Bamyan has increased.50 However, women’s role in the peace process remains largely symbolic in Kandahar, Balkh, Bamyan, Daikundi, Nangarhar, Nimruz, and Samangan. In Herat, Khost, and Nimruz, the number of women involved in the peace process generally, and at the policy level particularly, remains low with no specific initiatives targeting this deficiency.51
42 KI-M-LAG-PI-2, confirmed by 38 KIs and 12 FGDs in Kabul, Herat, Laghman and Nangarhar. 43 KI-M-KHO-GO-10, confirmed by 6 KIs and 2 FGDs in Khost. 44 KI-F-BAM-GO-20, confirmed by: 4 KIs and 2 FGDs in Bamyan. 45 KI-M-NIM-GO-10, confirmed by 12 KIs and 5 FGDs in Nimruz and Kunduz. 46 KI-M-SAM-NG-1, confirmed by: 7 KIs and 3 FGDs in Samangan. 47 KI-M-NIM-GO-10, confirmed by 7 KIs and 3 FGDs in Nimruz. 48 KI-F-KAB-GO-2, confirmed by 52 KIs and 22 FGDs in Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Daikundi, Kunduz, Laghman, Nangarhar, and Samangan. 49 KI-F-KAB-GO-6, confirmed by 8 KIs in Kabul. 50 KI-F-BAM-GO-7, confirmed by 12 KIs and 4 FGDs in Kandahar and Bamyan. 51 KI-F-BAL-NG-6, confirmed by 67 KIs and 24 FGDs in Kandahar, Balkh, Bamyan, Daikundi, Khost, Nangarhar, Nimruz, and Samangan. 12 www.appro.org.af
Independent Elections Commission (IEC), Ministry of Women’s Affairs, NGOs, media, political parties, and religious and tribal elders have been involved in awareness campaigns, capacity building and various other programs to encourage women’s participation in the elections both as voters and candidates in almost all provinces. IEC has employed a number of women in administration and security sections.
Reportedly, there were separate voter registration centers for women in Bamyan, Daikundi, and Nimruz in preparations for the parliamentary elections.52 More than 50 percent of the registered voters in Daikundi and 36 percent in Herat were women.53 A high number of women nominated themselves in Kabul, Kandahar, and Balkh.54
However, most respondents have expressed negative views on women’s participation in the district council elections. There were no female candidates for the district councils in some districts. This was generally attributed to the requirement for candidates to have a high school diploma, which most women do not have.
In Khost and Laghman, there have been very few programs aimed at encouraging women to participate in elections and a majority of the respondents report that women are not motivated to participate in voting.55 In Bamyan an improved security situation is said to have triggered women’s participation in the elections.56 Insecurity remains a major challenge in Kabul, Kunduz, Nangarhar, and Nimruz, negatively affecting voter and candidate registration processes.57
Security threats, lack of awareness, traditional conservatism, financial dependence, insufficient education, and a distrust in the election process remain the main challenges for women’s active participation in the elections as voters, and candidates in particular, across all provinces.
52 FGD-F-DAI-GO-1, confirmed by 16 KIs and 7 FGDs in Bamyan, Daikundi and Nimruz. 53 KI-M-DAI-GO-12, confirmed by 13 KIs and 4 FGDs in Daikundi and Herat. 54 KI-F-BAL-GO-4, confirmed by 23 KIs and 9 FGDs in Balkh, Kabul, and Kandahar. 55 KI-M-KHO-GO-1, confirmed by 28 KIs and 7 FGDs in Khost and Laghman. 56 KI-F-BAM-NG-5, confirmed by 18 KIs and 5 FGDs in Bamyan. 57 KI-F-NAN-GO-4, confirmed by 34 KIs and 12 FGDs in Kabul, Kunduz, Nangarhar, and Nimruz. 13 www.appro.org.af
Achievements
Balkh: ● In the past four months, competitive exam for government positions have been put in place, and women have been given a 5 points advantage in these exams. Over 60 percent of the female examinees have succeeded with high scores. ● Ninety women were recruited through the Horticulture and Livestock Productivity (HLP) program. ● A woman was appointed as the Director of Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Services Commission (IARCSC), and three other women were hired as District Police Chief, District Governor, and Director of Family Response Unit (FRU). ● A committee consisting of government institutions and civil society representatives was established by the Directorate of Women’s Affairs to investigate cases of violence against women. ● Fifteen women were introduced to Marmel Camp and a group of women were sent to Turkey for military training. ● A one-day conference was held on the topic of women peace and security where 700 people participated. ● 434,000 people registered to vote, of whom 180,000 were women. ● There were 21 qualified female candidates for the parliamentary elections.
Bamyan: ● Recently a woman was appointed as Director of the Provincial Statistical Office, two women as prosecutors and several women were hired in other public institutions. ● In some government institutions, there are dedicated positions for women. ● Over 50 percent of IEC’s contract employees are female. ● Around 18 percent of civil service employees are female. ● In all government institutions, a three-member committee, consisting of one female and two males are appointed to investigate cases of sexual harassment at the workplace. ● Number of women in leadership positions of the security sector has increased as 14 women have completed their training in Turkey and were promoted to officers. ● Two women joined the three-member peace committee, three women work as advisor to Provincial Peace Council, and 35 active civil society women work as advisory board to the provincial peace committee. ● Women make up over 50 percent of registered voters in Bamyan.
Daikundi: ● A woman was appointed as finance director and another one as the mayor while three other women were appointed in Attorney’s Office. Also, a group of women joined DoEd and the police forces in Shahristan district. ● An anti-harassment committee was established in all government institutions so that women could easily report harassment at the workplace. ● Over 50 percent of registered voters were women. Eight women nominated themselves as candidates in the parliamentary elections and 29 others for provincial councils.
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Herat: ● For the 16,000 civil services positions advertised, over 10,000 women were shortlisted for the initial exam. ● Three women have been appointed as Deputy Mayor, Head of Mustofiat (provincial treasury department), and head of DoWA in Herat province. ● Of the 450 advertised teaching vacancies, most of them went to women. A woman was hired as planning manager in the governor’s office, four women were hired at IARCSC, another woman was hired as an evaluation expert, and two women were hired at DoPH. ● In all government institutions, including universities, a committee was established to handle cases of harassment. ● Female police officers were provided with 50,000 Afghanis as financial incentive. ● Women’s presence in the peace process has increased from 15 percent to 21 percent. A woman was hired in the advisory board for the peace council. ● Thirty six percent of the registered voters are women. ● Seventeen women nominated themselves for the parliamentary elections and another 21 for the provincial council.
Kabul: ● A woman was hired in the cultural affairs department of the governor’s office, 114 women were hired by IEC, two women were promoted at AOP, and three women were promoted at IEC. ● Female officers have access to separate changing rooms. ● Most women do not have a tazkira. Participation in voting has given them the opportunity for obtaining tazkiras. ● One hundred and thirty women nominated themselves for the parliamentary elections and 112 for the provincial council.
Kandahar: ● Internships have been a good tool to encourage women’s participation in the civil service. There are 18 interns in Kandahar municipality. ● IDLG prepared guidelines for women to file complaints of harassment. ● A group of women work voluntarily with the peace council while there are five female peace council members in Kandahar. ● Almost half of IEC employees are women.
Khost: ● Female police officers are given incentive pay of up to 50,000 Afghanis. ● Two women were hired by the Attorney General’s Office. ● Women employed in the health sector are provided with transportation to and from work.
Kunduz: ● Forty five women were hired as teachers. ● Women have a 50 percent quota in Citizens’ Charter program. ● One hundred and sixty women were hired in various capacities by IEC. ● Iron and folic acid tablets were distributed to schoolgirls. ● Two women, who voluntarily worked with Provincial Peace Council, were hired as permanent employees. ● Seventeen women nominated themselves for the parliamentary elections and nine for the district councils. 185,000 people registered to vote, of which 65,495 were women. 15 www.appro.org.af
Laghman: ● There was one promotion for a woman at Laghman Police Headquarters. ● 50,665 people registered to vote in Laghman province.
Nangarhar: ● One woman was hired at the Police Headquarters in Jalalabad. ● Separate rooms, toilets, and transportation facilities are now available for female employees. Also, complaints mechanisms are reported to be effective. Women can file their complaints using boxes or directly in the meetings.
Nimruz: ● Entrance exam for government positions was held and a number of women were hired in education sector, IEC and the Directorate of Demography in the center and districts of Nimruz. ● Women who work in the governor’s office have access to transportation and health facilities. ● There are complaints boxes for women to file their complaints. ● 10,000 people registered to vote in Kang district. ● Three women nominated themselves for the parliamentary elections and six provincial councils.
Samangan: ● A women’s committee of 32 in Samangan is working to increase women’s participation. This committee is active in the villages and there are 105 councils in villages, with each council having a women’s committee. ● A woman was hired at DRRD, 68 women were hired as teachers and two as school principals. Also, a number of women were hired by IEC. ● Complaints boxes are set up in all government institutions. These boxes are checked on a monthly basis to investigate cases of harassment. ● Three women who were recruited by the security sector are being sent to Turkey for military training in coming months. ● 131,525 people registered to vote in Samanagan, of which almost 50 percent were women. ● Thirty four people nominated themselves for the parliamentary elections, of which 7 were women. Also, 13 women from six districts of Samangan nominated themselves for the provincial council.
Setbacks
Balkh: ● There was no female voting centers in Shor Tapa district because of security threats. ● The minimum education requirement for candidacy in the elections, the 12th grade, prevented many women from nominating themselves. ● In Balkh district most women did not register to vote because they either did not have permission from their families to register, or they did not have tazkiras.
Bamyan: ● The female Chancellor of Bamyan University was replaced with a male. ● There are no female civil servants in Shibar and Yakawlang districts. ● There have been no improvements in health and transport facilities for women
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in the province. ● Women have no role in formal or informal peace processes in Shibar and Yakawlang districts.
Daikundi: ● In Nomeish and Kajran districts, women who had joined the police force were forced to leave by local elders. ● Female police personnel do not have dedicated transportation provisions.
Herat: ● Women’s role in the peace process remains largely symbolic. ● Districts such as, Guzara, Pashtun Zarghoon, Farsi, Chesht, Oba, Kuhsan and Gulran did not have female nominees for the parliamentary elections or the provincial council.
Kabul: ● There are no female civil servants or police officers in Istalif and Khak Jabar districts. ● Entrance exam for the 1st and 2nd grade civil services positions is held only in Kabul, which hampers participation by most women from other provinces. ● Financial restrictions and lack of association with power networks have been two major challenges preventing women from nominating themselves for the parliamentary elections and the provincial council. ● Many women are pressured to vote for candidates not of their choosing.
Kandahar: ● There are no female staff members at the governor’s office. ● Most employees of DoWA in Kandahar are men, except for two female employees. ● The gender advisor position for the governor’s office has been re-advertised several times, there are no female applicants. ● In Daman and Arghandab districts, working in security forces carries a major social stigma for men and women. ● In many families women are forced to vote for the candidates favored by their husbands.
Khost: ● Widespread social conservatism continues to hold sway In Khost, preventing women from entering employment or participating in elections.
Kunduz: ● In Ali Abad and Imam Sahib districts there are no peace process-related activities for men or women. ● An employee of IEC was murdered in Ali Abad district by the armed opposition, dissuading many women from participating in the elections.
Laghman: ● Women who work with the security forces are viewed negatively within their communities.
Nangarhar: ● Some women resigned from their jobs because they received death threats. ● Female police personnel are provided with typical police transport (Rangers) which many women choose not to use due to being targeted. There are no provisions to reimburse those who wish to use other forms of transport. ● Women who nominated themselves for the provincial council received death 17 www.appro.org.af
threats from armed opposition groups.
Nimruz: ● There are no female civil service employees in the districts of Nimruz. ● No women nominated themselves for the parliamentary electtions from Khashrod district. ● 12th grade certification, as a prerequisite to candidacy, is a major challenge for many women wishing to nominate themselves for the provincial council.
Samangan: ● Women’s lower level of education is a main barrier to their employment in the government. ● A female provincial human rights official resigned and was replaced by a man. ● Women who nominated themselves for the provincial council were discouraged by local elders and stood down.
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Protection
In Kabul, Balkh, Bamyan, Daikundi, Herat, Nimurz, and Samangan provinces, there have been no new mechanisms for protecting women against domestic and other forms of violence. In some districts, cases of violence against women are referred to the district governor’s office, which are subsequently directed to the special EVAW courts at the provincial centers.
EVAW law is practiced in multiple provinces with public, especially women, remaining unaware of it. Respondents in Kabul reported that the Directorate of Prohibition of Violence Against Women had been promoted to the position of Deputy Attorney General.58 Respondents in Daikundi reported enforcement of the wedding law which prohibits unnecessary expenses in wedding ceremonies and potentially contributes to domestic violence.59 In Herat, respondents reported that there were instances of the Family Law being implemented effectively.60
Decreases in domestic violence in Kandahar is attributed to awareness raising programs by CSOs and the media.61 In Khost, awareness campaigns and programs on violence against women have been conducted by NGOs, CSOs, media, and ulema.62
Respondents in Kunduz were optimistic about the current mechanisms to protect women against violence in public places and the workplace.63 Views are divided in Laghman and Nangarhar provinces. Some respondents expressed pessimism about the overall situation of violence against women in domestic and public spaces, while others reported the termination of employees who had committed violence against women in the workplace.64
In Kabul and several other provinces, AIHRC, Directorate of Women’s Affairs, and CSOs continue to conduct awareness raising programs to encourage reporting of cases of violence against women. In Kabul, Nangarhar, and Laghman, women can call police telephone numbers to file cases of violence. In Kabul, an email account has been set up for receiving complaints about violence against women.65
In Herat and Kabul, legal centers and a number of NGOs and women’s rights organizations have been active to facilitate reporting cases of violence against women.66 In Balkh, judicial organizations have promised to dedicate a day for addressing cases of violence against women.67 In Kandahar and Khost, the attorney general’s office and the provincial police headquarters have established separate departments to deal with cases of violence against women.68
58 KI-M-KAB-GO-11, confirmed by: 2 KIs in Kabul. 59 KI-F-DAI-GO-4, confirmed by: 7 KIs in Daikundi. 60 KI-M-HER-NG-6, confirmed by: 12 KIs and 3 FGDs in Herat. 61 KI-M-KAN-GO-2, confirmed by: 10 KIs and 2 FGDs in Kandahar. 62 KI-F-KHO-GO-6, confirmed by: 12 KIs and 4 FGDs in Khost. 63 KI-F-KUN-GO-10, confirmed by: 8 KIs and 2 FGDs in Kunduz. 64 KI-F-LAG-GO-4, confirmed by: 6 KIs and 2 FGDs in Laghman. 65 KI-F-KAB-GO-3, confirmed by: 17 KIs and 8 FGDs in Kabul, Laghman and Nangarhar. 66 KI-M-KAB-NG-6, confirmed by: 12 KIs and 3 FGDs in Kabul and Herat. 67 KI-F-BAL-GO-5, confirmed by: 9 KIs and 3 FGDs in Balkh. 68 KI-M-KHO-GO-16, confirmed by: 22 KIs and 7 FGDs in Kandahar and Khost. 19 www.appro.org.af
Due to public awareness, an increased number of complaints have been reported in Balkh, Bamyan, Daikundi, Laghman, and Samagan provinces.69 Respondents in Khost reported improved conditions for reporting violence cases.70 Views are divided in Nangarhar, however. Barriers to report cases of violence include insecurity, corruption, women’s financial dependence, cultural norms and social stigma, distance to legal centers, and rejection of women who file a complaint by their families.
Table 3: Number of Cases of Violence Against Women Reported Provinces DoWA DoI Kunduz 24 - Laghman 8 20 Nangarhar 16 16 Nimruz 45 30 Samangan 57 52 Kabul 210 - Balkh 120 104 Kandahar 20 - Herat 87 - Daikundi 76 84 Bamyan 35 - Khost - -
Quantitative data on the number of reported cases of violence against women indicate significant differences across the provinces. Although, some government departments refuse to share the statistics, the differences among the provinces can be explained by the level of awareness on violence against women and the existence or lack of barriers for women to report violence.
A majority of respondents in Bamyan and Kabul believes that there have not been any changes in women’s access to efficient and accountable justice. However, some respondents report positive structural changes in the justice sector in Bamyan.71 In Daikundi there have been increases in the number of registered cases of violence in the provincial center and prosecution of 30-38 cases, including the case of Kiti district police chief who had raped a girl and was sentenced to 17 years of prison.72
Most male respondents in Daikundi reported an improvement in addressing cases of violence against women by the judiciary due to continuous monitoring by DoWA and the High Commission for Prevention of Violence. Women complain of discrimination by justice officials and customary law elders and corruption in the formal justice sector.73
Women’s access to justice has improved in Bamyan, Kabul, and Kunduz. Respondents in Bamyan report that cases of violence are promptly handled by Attorney General’s Office, Department of Justice, and DoWA. Also, some cases are resolved by religious leaders and community elders. In Kabul, courts solve
69 KI-M-SAM-GO-13, confirmed by: 37 KIs and 13 FGDs in Bamyan, Samangan, Balkh, and Daikundi. 70 KI-F-KHO-NG-4, confirmed by: 4 KIs in Khost 71 KI-F-BAM-NG-5, confirmed by: 27 KIs and 5 FGDs in Kabul and Bamyan. 72 KI-F-DAI-GO-6, confirmed by: 9 KIs in Daikundi 73 KI-M-DAI-NG-2, confirmed by: 19 KIs and 4 FGDs in Daikundi. 20 www.appro.org.af cases of violence against women in accordance with EVAW Law. There are also positive reports on the handling of women’s cases by the formal justice system in Istalif district. In Kunduz, respondents reported that men and women are treated equally in the formal justice system and that formally reported cases violence against women are resolved as per EVAW law provisions.74
In Kandahar, government employees are optimistic about the establishment of the Elimination of Violence Against Women Department and the Conflict Resolution Committee helping women with their cases. This optimism is not shared by women’s rights activists and organizations who claim that women continue to be harassed and asked for bribes or sexual favors. DoWA and AIHRC monitor the judicial bodies, including the handling of cases of violence against women, in Kandahar.75
In districts of Balkh province, cases continue to be referred to local community councils. Reportedly, many women do not want their cases to be resolved by formal bodies and opt instead for women’s councils.
In Herat, discriminatory behavior in favor of men prevails, especially in divorce cases. There are also reports of sexual harassment by officials of women complainants.76
Most government officials in Nimruz report an improvement in the treatment of women by justice sector employees. Women’s cases are dealt with efficiently and relatively equitably in the courts in part because of the number of women employed in the courts and the Attorney General’s Office. In contrast, women’s rights organizations report a deterioration in the treatment of women. They claim that women are insulted and their cases are not investigated properly. Corruption is also underlined as a major problem for women who resort to formal justice.77
In Samangan province, women resolve their complaints through local jirgas. If their cases are not resolved in jirgas, some choose to take their cases to formal bodies. The main impediments to equitable justice are corruption and warlords’ influence.78
In Laghman, Bamyan, Daikundi, Khost and Kabul province, there has been significant progress in the implementation of EVAW Law. Perpetrators of violence have been prosecuted as per EVAW law provisions and awareness about the law appears to be widespread. In Laghman several cases have been referred to DoWA. In Bamyan, 44 cases have been thoroughly probed. In Kabul, respondents reported improvements in the prosecution of perpetrators of violence and the significant role played by the media and awareness campaigns.79
Women’s participation in the judicial institutions has increased in Kabul, Bamyan, Daikundi, Nimruz, Samangan, and Herat provinces. In Kabul, a female judge has been appointed in the Supreme Court, while more women have been appointed as prosecutors, attorneys and lawyers in other provinces.80 Three female attorneys have been appointed in Daikundi, two in Bamyan, and three in Samangan,
.KI-F-BAM-GO-6، confirmed by: 31 KIs and 6 FGDs in Bamyan, Kabul, and Kunduz 74 75 KI-M-KAN-GO-1, confirmed by: 11 KIs and 6 FGDs in Kandahar. 76 KI-M- Bal -NG-1, confirmed by: 27 KIs and 10 FGDs in Balkh and Herat. 77 KI-M-NIM-GO-7, confirmed by: 9 KIs and 1 FGD in Nimruz. 78 KI-M-Sam-GO-12, confirmed by: 9 KIs and 4 FGDs in Samangan. 79 KI-F-LAG-NG-1, confirmed by: 39 KIs and 4 FGDs in Laghman, Bamyan, Daikundi, and Kabul. 80 KI-F-KAB-NG-1, confirmed by: 64 KIs and 22 FGDs in Kabul, Bamyan, Daikundi, Nimruz, Samangan. 21 www.appro.org.af during the last four months.81 Despite these developments, the minimal presence of female prosecutors and attorneys in the formal justice system is a major barrier to women’s access to fair and accountable justice.
Female prisoners remain in need of basic provisions, including adequate housing, food and hygiene. Children of female detainees continue to be accommodated with their mothers in most prisons, and deprived of their need for education and social development. Detained women are at risk of sexual harassment and abuse.82 Some basic improvements are reported in female prisons in Herat, Kabul and Kandahar provinces.83
Women’s treatment by the security forces, particularly the police, was reported to have improved in several provinces. This was attributed to training and awareness programs on gender for the security forces. At the same time, there are reports of the police continuing to harass women and victims of gender based violence in Nimruz, Kunduz, and Kandahar provinces.84
Achievements
Balkh: ● A committee was established with three members from at the police headquarters to investigate cases of harassment against women. ● In the past four months, 21 cases of violence against women have been recorded, all of which were investigated as per EVAW Law provisions. ● A court id dedicated to dealing with women’s cases, headed by a woman and an entire staff of female employees. ● A kindergarten was established in a prison to accommodate children of female detainees.
Bamyan: ● The police have provided two phone numbers to receive complaints on violence against women. ● Four women work as prosecutors and three as admin employees in the Attorney General’s office, increasing the access and use of the services by women. ● Thirty two cases of violence against women have been resolved as per EVAW Law.
Daikundi: ● The Wedding Law is in place to restrict excessive spending on weddings as a means to remove one of the drivers of domestic mistreatment and violence against women. ● The district police chief who raped a girl was sentenced to 17 years in prison. ● Three women were hired as prosecutors in the Attorney General’s Office in the center of the province. Also, a woman was hired as writer in the court and another one as warden of the prison.
81 KI-M-BMN-GO-5, confirmed by: 34 KIs and 7 FGDs in Bamyan, Samangan and Daikundi. 82 KI-F-DAI-PI-4, confirmed by: 17 KIs and 3 FGDs in Daikundi. 83 KI-M-HER-NG-1, confirmed by: 47 KIs and 9 FGDs in Kabul, Herat and Kandahar. 84 KI-M-HER-NG-6, confirmed by: 38 KIs and 7 FGDs in Herat, Kandahar, and Nimruz. 22 www.appro.org.af
Herat: ● The “Elimination of Violence Against Women” department has been established at the Attorney General’s Office, resulting in substantial improvements in reporting cases of violence. ● Herat Attorney General’s Office announced 30 new vacancies for women in the Elimination of Violence Against Women Department.
Kabul: ● A group of women have been trained as trainers on how to report cases of violence in their villages. ● Phone numbers have been set up to receive reports of cases of violence against women. ● A woman was appointed as a judge to the Supreme Court.
Kandahar: ● A women’s council has been established in Arghandab district to receive and resolve women’s domestic problems.
Khost: ● The Justice For All organization provides free attorneys for victims, with some victims using the services. ● Reporting cases of violence has increased compared to previous monitoring cycle, indicating higher level of awareness about rights. ● The monitoring of the judicial body by the central government has increased access to effective justice.
Kunduz: ● Police headquarters can no longer arbitrarily conduct virginity tests on arrested girls. ● All government institutions are establishing committees to investigate cases of harassment.
Laghman: ● Civil servants have been given seminars on the prevention of violence and harassment against women. Those who commit such acts are to be fired. ● A phone number is provided for women to report cases of violence. ● Two women were hired in the anti-violence department of Attorney’s Office.
Nangarhar: ● No cases of Baad were reported during this monitoring cycle. ● Department of Hajj and Religious Affairs (DoHRA) has instructed mullahs to discuss women’s rights in their sermons. ● Women have access to legal advice by phone. If the problem is not resolved, they are instructed on how to file complaints.
Nimruz: ● Two female prosecutors have been appointed. ● An NGO has hired advocates and provides free legal advice and attorney for women. ● Two women were hired in Department of Justice (DoJ) and two others as prosecutor in the Attorney General’s Office.
Samangan: ● DoWA has established a 3-member committee to investigate cases of violence against women. ● Three women were hired in the Attorney General’s Office.
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Setbacks
Balkh: ● There has been no change in the provisions for effective implementation of the EVAW Law in Balkh and Khulm districts, where there is a general lack of awareness about this law. ● Most cases of violence against women continue to be reported to and dealt with by traditional structures that usually are biased in favor of men. ● There is no detention facility in Balkh and Khulm districts. If a woman is detained, she is sent to the prison in Mazar-e Sharif.
Bamyan: ● In Bamyan there is a tendency in various government departments to view women’s issues as issues to be dealt with by DoWA and thus not taking responsibility to deal with such issues as workplace harassment. ● Distance from law enforcement institutions, impassable routes, lack of financial independence, and fear of time-consuming processes remain the core challenges for women needing to report cases of violence. ● There are no female employees in the Department of Justice, and there are no female prosecutors. ● There are no female employees in Shibar and Yakawlang districts. ● There are no women detention facilities in Shibar and Yakawlang districts with the detainees being transferred to the provincial center.
Daikundi: ● Eighty-four cases of violence have been reported in the province, of which 30- 40 were recorded in Shahristan district. ● A female detainee in Kiti district was raped by the district police chief. ● In Shahristan district, judicial bodies continue to refer women’s cases to local elders for resolution. ● There is no female detention facility in Shahristan district. ● Detained women do not have access to clean water in prison in the provincial center.
Herat: ● Time-consuming processes and financial restrictions are remain as the main challenges for women reporting cases of violence.
Kabul: ● Due to general lawlessness in Khak-e Jabar, women are afraid of filing complaints with formal or traditional authorities.
Kandahar: ● Complaints by women who work about being threatened by unknown callers are not addressed by authorities.
Khost: ● The majority of women’s complaints continue to be resolved through jirgas. ● The conditions of women detainees are extremely inadequate.
Kunduz: ● There is no facility available for female prisoners to meet their families and no facilities for their children. ● There are no female detention facilities in Imam Sahib and Ali Abad districts.
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Laghman: ● Corruption and nepotism within the judicial institutions impede proper implementation of the EVAW Law.
Nangarhar: ● NGOs working on women’s rights issues have been receiving warning letters to cease their activities or face being attacked.
Nimruz: ● The procedures for receiving and addressing complaints by women are unclear, with DoWA referring cases to the police and the police referring cases to DoWA. ● In Chakhansor and Kang districts, cases of violence against women continue to be resolved by local elders rather than the formal justice system. ● There is no female detention facility in Kang and Chakhansor districts.
Samangan: ● Women in AOG-controlled districts have no choice but to take their cases to AOG informal courts. ● There is no detention facility for women in Hazrat Sultan district. ● Imprisoned women complain about their treatment by male doctors and demand to be treated by female doctors. Also, there is no access to clean water.
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Prevention
In Balkh, Bamyan, Daikundi, Nimruz, Herat, Kabul, Kunduz, and Samangan provinces the level of violence against women has increased. The increase is attributed to insufficient awareness of women about their rights, insecurity and unemployment. In Daikundi, drought and drug addiction were listed as additional contributing factors.85 There are also reports of sharp increases in the number of murders in recent months in Samangan province.86
DoWA in Herat claims a 39 percent decrease in the number of violence cases in a recent report. However, most non-government respondents and some government respondents give no validity to this claim.87
In Nangarhar, 15 cases of violence were recorded in the past four months, of which 10 were resolved by Women for Afghan Women organization and AIHRC. The rest were referred to Attorney General’s Office. Women are said to be treated well in the formal justice system and prosecutors handle cases of violence against women seriously. Awareness programs by NGOs and government institutions on women’s rights have increased in the last four months. There have been no reported cases of baad.
Respondents in Kandahar and Khost provinces reported a decrease in the level of violence against women. Awareness programs by NGOs in Kandahar city, and NGOs discussion with women door to door in Arghandab and Daman districts are said to have contributed to a reduction in the level of violence against women. Violence in the workplace, domestic violence, beating, and baad appear to have decreased in Kandahar in the last four months. Also, the marriage age for girls has gone up to after school graduation at 18 years of age.88
There have been no changes in the last four months in the prosecution of perpetrators of violence against women in the center and districts of Bamyan. Two cases were transferred to Attorney’s Office; however, most perpetrators have managed to escape prosecution by fleeing from the province. Unprofessionalism of the police force, lack of sufficient security, corruption, and powerful figures’ interventions are listed as the major challenges in preventing violence against women.89
Prosecution of perpetrators of violence against women has been successful in Daikundi and Herat provinces. Cases that were reported in the center and Shahristan district of Daikundi were investigated and the perpetrators were detained. In Shahristan, four people were prosecuted on sexual harassment charges. In Herat province, an underage marriage was disallowed in Herat city and two men were arrested and charged for domestic violence and honor killings in Karukh district.90
No cases of violence against women were prosecuted in Kandahar city, Arghandab or Daman districts. Weak implementation of the EVAW law, pressure on victims of violence from local elders and
85 KI-M- Bal -NG-1, confirmed by: 75 KIs and 18 FGDs in Balkh, Bamyan, Daikundi, Nimruz, Herat, Kabul, Kunduz, and Samangan. 86 KI-M-Sam-GO-12, confirmed by: 8 KIs and 2 FGDs in Samangan. 87 KI-M-HER-GO-19 88 KI-F-KAN-GO-4, confirmed by: 16 KIs and 3 FGDs in Kandahar. 89 KI-F-BAM-NG-5, confirmed by: 18 KIs and 5 FGDs in Bamyan. 90 KI-F-DAI-PI-4, confirmed by: 23 KIs and 5 FGDs in Daikundi and Herat. 26 www.appro.org.af perpetrators to withdraw complaints, and corruption in the law enforcement institutions are the major challenges for the prosecution of perpetrators of violence against women in Kandahar.91
In Kunduz and Nimruz, prosecution of perpetrators of violence against women has weakened and the culture of impunity is said to have increased. Most districts are controlled by armed opposition groups, and perpetrators of violence against women flee to AOG territory to escape prosecution. In Nimruz, many perpetrators flee to Iran to escape arrest and prosecution.92
Public awareness about violence against women has increased in Balkh, Bamyan, Kandahar, Kunduz, and Samangan provinces. These programs include awareness about women’s rights and combating violence against women in workshops organized by AIHRC, DoWA, and NGOs. In schools, some teachers talk to students about women’s rights to school girls.93
In Herat, there are awareness programs though these programs are not offered in all regions of the province. Strong sentiment was expressed about having awareness programs on women’s rights for men and boys as well as women.94
Interviewees in Daikundi and Nimruz report that there have not been any programs on public awareness about women’s rights and violence against women.95
Achievements
Balkh: ● In the past four months, violence against women has is said to have decreased substantially in Khulm district, attributed to a number of awareness programs on women’s rights.
Bamyan: ● Ten women were recruited for training in demining. ● DoRR has a program to create jobs for 200 women in center and districts.
Daikundi: ● Religious scholars held a conference in the city to address violence against women.
Herat: ● DoWA reported a 39 percent decrease in the number of cases of violence against women though this figure is contested. ● In Ghorian district, the husband of a girl in a forced marriage was forced to divorce her.
Kabul: ● People’s awareness related to violence against women has increased in Istalif district.
Kandahar: ● Marriage age in most families has gone up, most girls do not get married until
91 KI-M-KAN-GO-1, confirmed by: 11 KIs and 4 FGDs in Kandahar. 92 KI-F-Kun-NG-5, confirmed by: 23 KIs and 7 FGDs in Kunduz and Nimruz. 93 KI-M- Bal -NG-1, confirmed by: 59 KIs and 11 FGDs in Balkh, Bamyan, Kandahar, Kunduz, and Samangan. 94 KI-M-HER-NG-6, confirmed by: 23 KIs and 6 FGDs in Herat. 95 KI-F-DAI-GO-4, confirmed by: 21 KIs and 7 FGDs in Daikundi and Nimruz.
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they finish high school.
Khost: ● Some mullahs have started addressing women’s rights and protection against violence in their sermons.
Kunduz: ● Women were provided with several capacity building and awareness programs by non-government organizations though the impact remains to be seen.
Laghman: ● No cases of baad were reported during this monitoring cycle.
Nangarhar: ● A prosecutor in the Attorney General’s Office was fired on corruption charges.
Nimruz: ● A man who raped an underage girl was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
Samangan: ● Women cases that cannot be resolved through jirgas in Hazrat Sultan district are referred to official bodies.
Setbacks
Balkh: ● Women’s access to formal justice remains limited, mainly due to absence of women in the law enforcement and judicial institutions.
Bamyan: ● Due to the lengthy procedures, most women discard their cases before the court begins to process it.
Daikundi: ● Many women complain that their cases are not taken seriously by the judicial authorities in Shahristan district.
Herat: ● Most divorce cases are said to be resolved in favor of men.
Kabul: ● Ninety eight cases of violence against women were recorded in only one month. ● In districts away from the center, long physical distances and financial restrictions reduce women’s access to formal justice.
Kandahar: ● No cases of violence against women have been tried using EVAW Law.
Khost: ● Practice of baad remains prevalent in the province. ● There is no monitoring of EVAW Law implementation in Khost.
Kunduz: ● Most districts are under opposition the control of armed opposition groups, with perpetrators of violence against women often fleeing to these areas to escape prosecution.
Laghman: ● Perpetrators of violence against women and other forms of violence have been set free through the payment of bribes.
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Nangarhar: ● Fifteen cases of beating and other types of violence were recorded in the past four months.
Nimruz: ● Cases of violence against women continue to be resolved by local elders rather than formal justice bodies in Chakhansor district.
Samangan: ● Number of murders has increased in the province. ● Fifty two cases of violence against women were recorded in the past four months. ● Some perpetrators of violence against women flee to AOG controlled areas as a means to escape justice.
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Relieve and Recovery
Women’s access to economic and employment opportunities has improved in Bamyan, Herat, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunduz, Nimruz, and Samangan provinces. These opportunities are concentrated in low skilled areas such as handicrafts. Overall, employment opportunities for high school and university graduates remains low, especially for women.
In Bamyan center and district of Shibar, women’s access to employment has improved slightly in government and non-government organizations. Education and health sectors are the two main employers of women, with periodic employment for women provided by IEC.
In Herat, there are business training courses for women. There are also skill training programs in handicrafts and support for startups. The PROMOTE project’s capacity building program is said to have had some positive impact on preparing women for the job market.96
In Kabul, there are economic empowerment programs for women though most of these programs target unskilled workers. There are no programs to prepare fresh graduates for the job market and may graduates remain unemployed long after graduation.
In Kandahar, the PROMOTE project provides internship opportunities for women to become familiar with work environment and gain experience. A number of women who undertook internships through the PROMOTE project have managed to secure jobs in government institutions. Citizens’ Charter is another program that provides employment opportunities for women in Kandahar.97
In Kunduz, NGOs have been providing training and raw materials for startup initiatives by women. The trainings include tailoring, embroidery, and knitting skills. In Nimruz, most working women are employed by DoEd while the PROMOTE project has provided women with internship opportunities. Women are also employed by the police, the municipality, IEC and Directorate of Demography. Similarly, in Samangan the PRMOTE project has provided internship opportunities. Women are also employed by DoLSA, DoEd, and IEC.98
In Daikundi women’s access to employment is said to have improved. The vast majority of working women work at DoEd, Attorney General’s Office, DoEd and DoPH.99 In the center and districts of Laghman women very limited economic and employment opportunities. Women’s access to education and health is relatively poor. Government neglect is pointed to by many as the main reason.100
In Balkh and Bamyan, NGOs provide financial assistance for women to start their own business. In Kunduz, over 500 women were provided access to farming facilities by NGOs. In Kunduz and Samangan
96 KI-F-BAM-NG-5, confirmed by: 21 KIs and 4 FGDs in Bamyan and Herat. 97 FGD-F-KAB-GO-3, confirmed by: 15 KIs and 2 FGDs in Kabul and Kandahar. 98 KI-F-Kun-NG-5, confirmed by: 35 KIs and 9 FGDs in Kunduz, Nimruz, and Samangan. 99 KI-F-DAI-PI-4, confirmed by: 21 KIs and 3 FGDs in Daikundi. 100 KI-M-LAG-GO-7, confirmed by: 11 KIs and 1 FGD in Laghman. 30 www.appro.org.af women have access to microfinance for business startups.101 Women’s access to financial resources and financial assistance remains unchanged in Daikundi, Kabul, Kandahar, and Nimruz provinces.102
Women’s access to health and education has improved in Balkh, Bamyan, Daikundi, Herat, Kabul, Kunduz, Nimruz, Samangan, and Khost provinces. The improvements are concentrated mainly in the provincial centers. In rural districts where recruiting qualified female teachers is not difficult or not feasible, senior year girls are recruited to teach lower years. With some exceptions, girls do not face major challenges while attending school in the center and districts near the center. Women have relatively good access to health services.103
In Bamyan, over 51 percent of students are female. Girls do not face major problems attending school. School facilities remain poor with insufficient number of firm structures to serve as classroom, insufficient books, and insufficient number of qualified teachers. Women’s access to health remains unchanged with challenges in availability of adequate medicine, hospitals and hospital space, female doctors and professional staff, and inappropriate behavior of some medical staff. There are no services for mental health, optometry, or dentistry in the province.104
In Daikundi, 50 literacy courses were delivered in Shahristan district. Girls’ enrollment in schools has increased and most families support their children in pursuing education. In the health sector, three health facilities were inaugurated in Kiti, Nomeish, and Kajran districts. There have been no major changes in access to health and education services In Herat.105
In Kabul, women’s access to education and health services has improved. Girls face fewer challenges attending school and families are supportive of their children’s education. Public health clinics are functioning satisfactorily with reports of improvements in some. In Nimruz, the number of female students is higher than male students.106
The number of girls’ schools has not changed in Kandahar. Girls’ access to books has improved and the number of enrollments for girls has increased. In Daman and Arghandab districts, the facilities are poor, particularly for female students. There is only one girls’ school in daman district. In Arghandab district there is a shortage of girls’ schools and female teachers, dissuading many families from sending their daughters to school.107
Women’s access to health in Kandahar is better at private health facilities since there is only one public hospital with limited services for women. Access in rural districts is even more limited. More generally, a limitation in access to health by women is extreme forms of traditional conservatism disallowing women seeking medical help from professionals at all or unaccompanied. In these cases, the women resort to traditional medicine as the alternative.108
101 KI-M- Bal -GO-9, confirmed by: 27 KIs and 11 FGDs in Balkh, Kunduz, Samangan, and Bamy. 102 KI-M-DAI-NG-2, confirmed by: 29 KIs and 6 FGDs in Daikundi, Kabul, Kandahar, and Nimruz. 103 KI-M- Bal -NG-1, confirmed by: 11 KIs and 6 FGDs in Balkh. 104 KI-M-BAM-NG-1, confirmed by: 19 KIs and 3 FGDs in Bamyan. 105 KI-F-DAI-PI-4, confirmed by: 22 KIs and 7 FGDs in Daikundi and Herat. 106 KI-F-KAB-NG-3, confirmed by: 18 KIs and 8 FGDs in Kabul and Nimruz. 107 KI-M-KAN-GO-1, confirmed by: 12 KIs and 1 FGD in Kandahar. 108 KI-M-KAN-GO-1, confirmed by: 7 KIs and 3 FGDs in Kandahar. 31 www.appro.org.af
In Kunduz, access to education has improved in the past four months. Women are provided with literacy courses in a number of districts. However, in rural district and areas under armed opposition group’s control, girls are allowed to attend school until 6th grade only. Women’s access to health facilities has improved in Kunduz. NGOs active in Kunduz send their employees door to offer and deliver medical services. Health service quality remains very poor in rural districts and there is a constant shortage of medicine.109
In Samangan, girls’ access to education has substantially improved. In the past, girls could not attend school as a result of insecurity in some districts. With improved security, girls have resumed attending school. Governmental entities work with local mosques and shuras to raise awareness on use of health and education services. Five thousand girls were enrolled to school in the current year. There is a general shortage of teachers and female teachers in particular while many physical structures of the schools are inadequate. Women’s access to health services has improved. A Family Support Unit (FSU) was established to provide legal advice to victims of violence. Also, the gender department of the police headquarter has established an advocacy unit to improve health quality in the province.110
There have been no changes in relief and recovery services for vulnerable women in Herat, Balkh, Kabul, Kandahar, and Nimruz province. Interviewees in Herat say that the government does not have any specific plan for relief and recovery efforts though some NGOs continue to be active in this area. NGO services are limited mostly to provincial centers. In Balkh and Khulm districts, relief and recovery services are insufficient with some 1,200 families living in dire conditions in Rabat village.111
Recovery services to the victims of violence has improved in Bamyan. A new counseling center has been established in the center offering services health and psychiatric care.112
Government employees in Daikundi report that recovery services for victims of violence have improved in the province. Women are reportedly provided with psychiatric advice in some public hospitals. These services are only available in the provincial center, however.113
In Kabul, some NGOs provide psychiatric services for victims of violence. Psychiatric advice is also available in safe houses. In Kunduz, psychiatric services have improved with the a center in Ali Abad district providing continuous advice to victims of violence.114
Women do not have access to psychological counseling in Nimruz. In Kandahar, there is no rehabilitation center for victims of violence and a majority of the women do not have access to health services. In families where violence occurs, victims usually do not have the permission to visit health or psychiatric facilities.115
Data on the number of women and the actual conditions in safe houses is not publicly available. There are no safe houses in Kandahar, Laghman and Khost provinces. The quantitative data collected verbally
109 KI-F-Kun-NG-5, confirmed by: 16 KIs and 5 FGDs in Kunduz. 110 KI-M-Sam-GO-12, confirmed by: 13 KIs and 3 FGDs in Samangan. 111 KI-M-HER-NG-6, confirmed by: 28 KIs and 7 FGDs in Herat and Balkh. 112 KI-M-BAM-NG-1, confirmed by: 2 KIs and 2 FGDs in Bamyan. 113 KI-F-DAI-GO-4, confirmed by: 3 KIs and 1 FGD in Daikundi. 114 KI-F-KAB-GO-4, confirmed by: 11 KIs in Kabul and Kunduz. 115KI-F-KAN-GO-4, confirmed by: 13 KIs and 6 FGDs in Kandahar and Nimruz. 32 www.appro.org.af from three main institutions supporting safe houses are summarized in Table 4. In many provinces the number of safe houses given by these entities are not consistent.
Table 4: Number of Women in Safehouses According to DoWA, AIHRC and DoI Provinces DoWA AIHRC DoI Kunduz 21 20 - Laghman - - - Nangarhar 35 32 35 Nimruz 18 15 18 Samangan 18 - - Kabul - - - Balkh 24 15 16 Kandahar - - - Herat 91 150 - Daikundi 14 - - Bamyan 8 9 - Khost - - -
Women’s access to safe houses has decreased in Nangarhar and Nimruz provinces. In Nangarhar, deterioration in security situation has hindered women from accessing judicial bodies and safe houses. The conditions in some safe houses are similar to prisons, with minimal and poor provisions. In Laghman, the only safe house in the province was closed and the women were transferred to the Nangarhar safe house. The perception of safe houses remains negative in most provinces.116
Women’s overall conditions in safe houses have not changed in Herat and Kunduz provinces. In Herat, safe houses lack the capacity and space necessary to accommodate all the women that seek these services. There are no safe houses in Ali Abad and Imam Sahib districts of Kunduz. Women who face problems in these districts are kept in local elder’s homes, where they are used as extra hands to help out with daily domestic chores.117
Women’s overall condition in safehouses has improved in Balkh, Bamyan, Daikundi, and Kabul provinces. In Balkh, conditions in terms of security and recovery services is good for women in safe houses. There is a support center and women are provided with legal and psychiatric counseling and fee attorneys. In Bamyan and Daikundi, women are given psychiatric and legal counseling in the safe houses. In Kabul, there have been initiatives to attend to women’s health in the safe houses.
Access to services for vulnerable women such as widowed and disabled women has improved in Nangarhar, Laghman, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunduz, and Samangan provinces. In Nangarhar, 200 widowed and disabled women were provided food assistance. In Laghman, widowed and disabled women received financial aid from DoLSAMD. NGOs and the government have provided financial and in-kind assistance to them. In Kandahar, aside from government and NGOs, businessmen also give money to
116 KI-M-NAN-GO-1, confirmed by: 57 KIs and 12 FGDs in Nangarhar, Laghman, Nimruz, Herat and Kunduz. 117 KI-M- Bal -NG-1, confirmed by: 17 KIs and 7 FGDs in Balkh and Bamyan. 33 www.appro.org.af widowed and disabled women. In Samangan, 82 women were given 1000 Afs per month as assistance.118
Respondents in Balkh, Bamyan, and Daikundi reported that services for vulnerable women have decreased in the recent months due to changes in government priorities and having to attend to acute problems such as the drought. In Bamyan, aid is provided by some NGO.119
Displaced women’s access to key services such as education and healthcare has improved in Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kabul, Nangarhar, Khost, and Laghman provinces. In Balkh, returnee families were provided with $200 in cash, and some food items. Health service has improved in part due to the use of mobile clinics. In Bamyan, displaced girls have access to schools. In Herat, international organizations such as DRC, NRC, IOM and UNICEF are active in providing assistance to displaced girls and their families.120
In Kabul IDPs have the same access to health and education facilities as the residents. In Nangarhar, mobile clinics have increased access to health. Also in Nangarhar, additional teachers have been hired in Kama and Surkh Rod districts. Various NGOs and government institutions provide help and services for IDPs in Khost and Laghman provinces.121
Displaced women’s access to key services has not changed in Daikundi, Kandahar, and Nimruz provinces. Usually, IDPs will not be able to attend school because most of them do not have tazkira (national ID). In Nimruz, access to healthfor IDPs remains insufficient.122
Achievements
Balkh: ● DRRD has provided assistance for women in handicraft skills training. ● Handicraft exhibitions have been effective for creating venues for women to sell their products. ● An empowerment center has been established in the safe house to provide vocational skills for the women. ● Female victims of violence are provided with free psychiatric treatment by NGOs. ● A 100-bed hospital is currently being built and a 12-bed gynecology hospital has been inaugurated.
Bamyan: ● Directorate of Agriculture has been distributing sheep to women from some families as a means to give opportunities to women for generating income. ● Fifty one percent of students are female. ● Tele-medicine services connect patients to London for treatment and counseling. ● Eight psychiatrists, four males and four females, have been appointed.
118 FGD-M-NAN-GO-3, confirmed by: 26 KIs and 7 FGDs in Nangarhar, Kabul, Kandahar, Samangan, and Kunduz. 119 KI-F- Bal -GO-4, confirmed by: 10 KIs and 4 FGDs in Balkh, Daikundi, and Bamyan. 120 KI-M- Bal -NG-1, confirmed by: 21 KIs and 8 FGDs in Balkh and Herat. 121 KI-F-KAB-NG-3, confirmed by: 46 KIs and 12 FGDs in Kabul, Nangarhar, Khost, and Laghman. 122 KI-M-DAI-NG-2, confirmed by: 14 KIs and 4 FGDs in Kandahar, Daikundi, and Nimruz. 34 www.appro.org.af
● A learning center is established in Bamyan center to educate 120 women in areas of computer and English language.
Daikundi: ● There are no serious social barriers to girls’ education. ● Women are given psychiatric and legal advice in safe houses. ● The DRR has provided financial assistance for over 100 families.
Herat: ● The Women’s Chamber of Commerce was inaugurated. ● Financial assistance has been provided for women to train in agricultural skills.
Kabul: ● Women are being provided psychiatric advice.
Kandahar: ● Citizens’ Charter program and Green City by UN-Habitat has provided working opportunities for women. ● Widowed and disabled women receive 60,000 Afs annually from the Directorate of Martyred and Disabled.
Khost: ● Health and psychiatrist advice are provided for women. ● Mobile clinics are available in the center, Nader Sha Kot and Mando Zayi districts.
Kunduz: ● Psychiatrists are available in some hospitals to provide advice to the victims of violence. ● Mobile clinics are available for IDPs. ● 500 women have been trained in handicraft skills.
Laghman: ● Women handicraft products were marketed by DoLSA. ● Mobile clinics are available in rural areas.
Nangarhar: ● Women whose cases are resolved and return to their homes are provided with 4,000 Afs in financial assistance. ● DoLSA distributed food to 200 widowed and disabled women.
Nimruz: ● 400 women were hired in the center and districts of Nimruz. Women are recruited mostly in the education sector. ● The PROMOTE project provides internships for women to prepare them for the job market. ● Two women were hired by the police headquarters and five others in the municipality. ● Almost 50 percent of all students, from the lowest to the highest grade, are female.
Samangan: ● Girls have equal opportunity to attend school in Aybak city, the center of Samangan. ● 12,350 students are enrolled in school, of which 5,000 are girls. ● A Family Support Unit has been established in the city to provide health and legal services for female victims of violence.
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Setbacks
Balkh: ● Over 70 percent of people in Mazar-e Sharif and Balkh district are unemployed. ● Insecurity has caused the closing of many schools. ● There are reports of sexual harassment and assault in some girls’ schools. ● There continues to be a lack of teachers, adequate school structures, and sufficient number of books at many school. ● 1,200 IDP families live in extremely poor conditions Rabat village of Balkh district. There has been no financial assistance and there is no clean water. ● There are no safe houses in Balkh and Khulm districts. Women in need of protection are transported to the safe house in Mazar-e Sharif or will be kept in the home of an elder, mullah, or a government official.
Bamyan: ● Many schools continue to lack adequate buildings, sufficient furniture and books, and qualified female teachers. ● There is no forensics facility in Bamyan. ● There are no safe houses in Shibar and Yakawlang districts.
Daikundi: ● Many schools lack adequate buildings, sufficient furniture and books, and qualified female teachers. ● Girls from displaced families without tazkira do not have access to education.
Herat: ● There is a shortage of doctors in rural districts.
Kabul: ● There are no safe houses in Istalif and Khak-e Jabar districts. ● Drugs use has become a major problem among unemployed youth.
Kandahar: ● There is one girls’ school in Daman district with very poor facilities. ● There is no girls’ school in Arghandab district and girls attend boys’ school up to third grade. ● Women do not have sufficient access to health clinics due to extreme forms of conservatism. ● There is no safe house in Kandahar city. Women in need of safe houses are placed in prison.
Khost: ● There is no safehouse in Khost province.
Kunduz: ● Girls can go to school until grade six, mostly because many areas of the province are controlled by armed opposition groups that disallow girls’ education beyond grade six. ● There are no safe houses in Ali Abad and Imam Sahib districts. Women in need of protection are housed by the local elders who often treat women as extra hands for domestic chores.
Laghman: ● The safe house remains closed in Laghman. Women in need of protection are transferred to the Jalalabad safe house.
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Nangarhar: ● DRR was attacked and all their documents were destroyed.
Nimruz: ● There are no safe houses in districts of Nimruz. ● The number of IDPs has increased, putting pressure on service deliver in health and education.
Samangan: ● There is no safe house in Hazrat Sultan district.
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Conclusion
Data from this round of monitoring indicates that there have been some improvements in implementing Afghanistan’s NAP 1325 across the provinces. Gradual changes have been reported in policies regarding women’s participation, particularly in the civil service. IARCSC’s new policies and efforts to reform the recruitment process have been effective in increasing women’s participation in the civil service and promotion to leadership positions in government institutions in several provinces. However, women continue to be predominantly employed in the education and health sectors. Insecurity, harassment at workplace, and extreme forms of traditional conservatism continue to limit women’s employment in all sectors. Despite some improvements in addressing harassment complaints by women, the problem of sexual harassment at the workplace is among the major deterrents to women seeking work.
Efforts to improve women’s participation in the peace process have been successful at raising awareness on the issue, and women’s involvement in policy reform regarding peace has reportedly increased at HPC in Kabul. Women’s role in the provincial peace councils remains limited and their presence largely symbolic.
A number of gender awareness raising programs have reportedly had a positive impact on reducing violence against women and encouraging the reporting of cases of gender-based violence. The special EVAW courts have been effective in implementing the EVAW Law to address cases of violence against women in most provinces. At the same time, corruption, impunity for the perpetrators of violence against women, gender based discrimination, and sexual harassment and abuse of women limit women’s access to accountable and equitable justice. Further, despite a slight increase in the number of women working in the judiciary, the shortage of female prosecutors, attorneys, and lawyers is a major hindrance in women’s access to justice.
Changes in levels of violence against women have been disparate across the provinces with a reported decrease in provinces such as Kandahar and Khost and increases in several other provinces. However, the prosecution of the perpetrators of violence against women has been inadequate. In some provinces the law enforcement authorities fail to arrest the perpetrators or prosecute them in a timely manner, increasing the possibility of interference by powerholder and opportunities to escape by running to insecure districts or even joining the armed opposition groups.
Relief and recovery assistance for women has been mainly focused in Kabul and some of the provincial centers. Programs designed to assist women to find employment opportunities, such as PROMOTE, have been mainly implemented in Kabul and some provincial centers. The outcome, impact and sustainability these interventions remain largely unknown.
Access to education and health services remains unchanged with relatively better services in the provincial centers. A lack of female teachers at girls’ schools has hindered girls’ attendance. Access to shelters for victims of gender based violence remains limited in most provinces, and has deteriorated in some others.
With the recent closing down of the only safe house in Laghman province, the number of monitored provinces without shelters now stands at three. The public perception of women’s shelters remains negative while the government and the implementing agents have not taken any measures to address it.
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At the same time, there have been small improvements in safe houses in Kabul, Balkh, Bamyan, and Daikundi province.
The provision of basic services and assistance for widowed and disabled women and female IDPs was reported to have improved across several provinces. I/NGOs and the government have distributed food stamps, clothes, and cash and provided services for the women in most provinces.
Recommendation
Government of Afghanistan
1. Intensify the urgency to implement NAP 1325 by raising awareness in governmental agencies at national and sub-national levels. 2. Localize the implementation of NAP 1325 and take the implementation efforts to the provincial and district levels through working with civil society and establishing working groups at the provincial and district levels. 3. Ensure women’s meaningful participation in the peace process at national and sub-national levels. 4. Continue support for IARCSC in its efforts to increase the number of qualified women in the civil service. 5. Ensure that harassment at the workplace is addressed through a mix of awareness raising, establishment of confidential complaint mechanisms, and setting examples by punishing perpetrators of sexual harassment at the workplace. 6. Continue to engage religious leaders on the importance of including women in different aspects of life and particularly in the peace process. 7. Enhance efforts to increase the number of qualified women in the formal justice sector. 8. Facilitate reporting of gender based violence through establishing more accessible reporting channels such as a dedicated telephone line for reporting cases of violence. 9. Increase the provision of mental health services for victims of gender based violence through establishing special psychiatric departments in public hospitals. 10. Ensure that victims of gender based violence have access to safe shelters through establishing more shelters throughout the country in collaboration with traditional authorities and structures.
Civil Society and International Community
1. Provide assistance to the government of Afghanistan for revising the NAP 1325 implementation, coordination and reporting mechanisms. 2. In supporting the government, emphasize the localization of NAP 1325 at the provincial and district levels, particularly in peace processes. 3. Demand dedicated monitoring mechanism, reporting, and evaluation of implementation efforts from the government, particularly MoFA as the lead agency, and UN Women as the international support agency. 4. Continue to invest awareness raising programs, including men and boys, to encourage women’s participation in the civil service, security forces, and social affairs.
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5. Support the government in its efforts to establish more accessible mechanisms for reporting violence against women. 6. Support the government in maintaining the current safe houses and establishing new ones, particularly in provinces where they currently do not exist. 7. Contribute to the provisions of better mental health at public hospitals.
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Appendix 1: Indicators
Participation 1. Changes in women’s presence in civil services: - Changes in laws, policies and regulations or start of other initiatives to strengthen women’s participation; - Changes in the number and positions of women in the civil services; - Changes in women’s occupation in leadership positions in governmental entities; - Changes in workplace environment (such as improved complaints mechanisms for women, etc.); 2. Changes (in favor of or against women) in the security sector: - Any changes in policy/programs/ or start of new projects (such as women-only training, encouragement); - Changes in the number of women in leadership positions in the security sector; - Changes in work environment and women’s recruitment and promotion; 3. Changes in women’s presence in peace process: - Changes in policies, programs and regulations to ensure women’s participation in peace process; - Changes in women’s involvement in policy making positions in peace process; - Changes in the number of women involved in the peace process, and their involvement in drafting of peace policies/strategies; - Changes in peace negotiations that neglected or favored women’s rights; 4. Changes in women’s participation in national and provincial elections: - Changes in the election law, policies or regulations; to foster women’s participation both as voters and candidates; - Changes in security situation (which could encourage/ prevent women to participate in the elections); - Programs/initiatives to promote women’s role in the election; - Any new/old barrier/ challenges against women to participate in public and political life;
Protection 1. Mechanisms to protect women from violence: - Changes in existing mechanisms to protect women from domestic violence; - Changes in existing mechanisms to protect women from violence in public spaces; - Changes in existing mechanisms to protect women from violence at workplace; 2. Mechanisms to report violence against women: - Changes in mechanisms to report cases of violence against women; - Changes in barriers for female victims to report cases of violence; 3. Women’s access to effective and accountable justice: - Changes in women’s access to efficient and accountable justice; - Improvement in the implementation of the EVAW law; - Gender-sensitive reforms of the justice sector; - Changes in women’s conditions in the prisons; 4. Protection of women by the security forces: - Any new policies/programs for the security forces concerning women’s protection from violence;
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- Changes in the treatment of women by the security forces, particularly the ANP;
Prevention 1. Types and levels of violence against women: - Types, levels and number of violence incidents against women; - Treatment of cases of violence against women by the justice system; - Challenges for women to access efficient and accountable justice; 2. Elimination of culture of impunity: - Prosecution of perpetrators of violence against women; - Public awareness about violence against women;
Relief & Recovery 1. Changes in vulnerability of women: - Changes in women’s access to economic opportunities; - Changes in women’s access to financial resources; - Changes in women’s access to education and health services; 2. Relief and Recovery services for vulnerable women: - Changes in recovery services to survivors of gender based violence; - Changes in services for vulnerable women, such as women widowed or disabled as a result of conflict; 3. Implementation of IDPs policy provisions related to UNSCR 1325: - Changes in displaced women’s access to key services such as education and healthcare; - Changes in displaced women’s access to employment opportunities; - Changes in humanitarian aid delivery to displaced women;
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Appendix 2: References and Coding
Each code consists of four units of information; the table below shows the types of interview and interviewee as well as the province in which the interview has taken place. For example,
KI-F-SAM-GO-11 indicates:
KI = Key Informant F = Female SAM = Samangan GO = Government 11 = Sequence
More generally, the following protocols are used to code respondents: Unit within the code Description of the abbreviation KI Key Informant Interviewee FGD Focus Group Discussion F/M Female or Male interviewee KAB/BAL/DAI/NAN/HER/PAC/PAR/TAK The first three letters of the province name covered for data collection GO/NG Government/Non-government Number Indicates the sequence of the key informant interview or focus group discussion.
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