Training Manual
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Training Manual Training manual │ Taking Action on Violence against Women in the Afghan Context Initiat- ing and developing response mechanisms through women's right activism, community and insti- tutional based approaches. Author: Gurcharan Virdee © 2008 by medica mondiale Editing: Karin Griese, medica mondiale, Cologne Layout: Katrin Konradt, medica mondiale, Cologne Published by medica mondiale e.V. Hülchrather Strasse 4 50670 Cologne Germany [email protected] www.medicamondiale.org Funded by UNHCR The training manual will also be available in Dari at a later stage. All rights reserved. medica mondiale permits the reproduction and translation of this manual for workshops or as a general training tool for other non-profit organisations. However, we would like any user to give recognition to medica mondiale and, in case written material is produced using our texts or ideas, to send a copy to medica mondiale. However for commercial purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. medica mondiale 2008 Dedication │ Gurcharan Virdee “Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter. Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.”1 Khaled Hosseini 2007 “One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roof. Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.” Saib-e-Tabrizi, 17th Century Afghan Poet Dedicated to: To all Afghan women, you are the splendid suns, you were always the noor of my inspiration and your violation fuels my determination to succeed on securing women’s rights at any cost. This training manual is especially for ‘my’ women who proudly called themselves women’s rights activists and worked on VAW and women’s rights issues to make a difference to the lives of girls and women. You will always occupy a very special place in my heart that only we, as women, understand. To my widows in Mazar-i-Sharif: I was always teased for being wedded to the widows as though this was a burden, but for me you were very precious. I send you all lots of strength and a big hug. 1 Khaled Hosseini (2007): A Thousand Splendid Suns, London, p. 3. Main content and goals of the training modules Preface Module 1 │ Raising awareness of VAW To discuss and understand what violence is and how it affects the lives of the participants and the lives of other women in the family and community. To address VAW in the community from a woman-centred perspective. Module 2 │ Taking actions on VAW: individual and community activisms to stop violence against women To understand what it means to be a women’s rights activist through concepts of empowerment and solidarity and examples of activities established globally on VAW. To learn how to start projects and activities on VAW through different methods and techniques for assessing needs and identification of problems. Module 3 │ The legal framework: the duty to protect1 To provide an overview of the international and national legal framework on women's rights and VAW, including transitional justice. To understand why 80% of the Afghan population uses customary laws (a mixture of traditional customary practices and Sharia law) to resolve disputes and how these systems violate women's fundamental human rights. To learn strategies to achieve women's legal rights by making international and national legal frameworks responsive to women's rights around VAW issues. Module 4 │ Casework and counselling skills on VAW To acquire knowledge of different components of casework and counselling skills in VAW cases. To learn the importance of self awareness to become an effective caseworker through continuous feedback on personal development and growth. Module 5 │ Case management on VAW To establish effective response mechanisms which must include the three guiding principles of confidentiality, safety and respect for women seeking help and support on violence against women (VAW) issues. To identify strategies and methods for maximizing interagency, multi-sectoral and community coordination, communication and collaboration. Module 6 │ Family mediation To acquire knowledge and skills on family mediation using principles which protect the well- being of the clients / women. 1 This module will be printed as a separate booklet to accompany this manual at a later stage. Training Manual │ Taking Action on Violence Against Women in the Afghan Context│© medica mondiale To continue to establish and develop effective response mechanisms for VAW cases in partnership with key agencies and communities. Module 7 │ Evaluation This module provides information on tools for evaluating workshops. Thus both the group facilitators and participants will be able to reflect upon what has happened in the workshops, and on what has or has not been achieved Resource CD Accompanying this manual is a resource CD consisting of material referred to in the training manual. This includes handouts, PowerPoint presentations, pictures and samples of materials. In addition, there is supplementary reference material that is useful for background information and additional resource material. Glossary Foreword │ Dr. Monika Hauser, founder and director of medica mondiale A Community Centre in Mazar, November 2005. We are sitting with 25 girls and young women and talking about their situation. Most of them were acquainted with mm’s activities and partici- pated in one of the groups on a regular basis. And, as so often in Afghanistan, I could see the phenomenon that beneath the depression caused by repressive and violent circumstances for the female population, a powerful vitality was waiting – that is set free in a safe space, expands and inspires the other women. The seventeen-year-old Golalei1 talked about a fellow student of hers, who, one day, did not turn up at school because she was going to be married off. As an engaged activist who participated in the mm trainings, she discussed the situation with her classmates, who were extremely sad and disturbed. Despite her young age, Golalei was very brave and had a strong sense of justice – which earned her the respect of older training partici- pants: commitment and dedication is not a question of age. After several hours of intense debate, the students decided to send a delegation to her parents, to enlighten them on the human right of the girl to continue her education and on the human right to choose her own partner and time of marriage. A groundbreaking development in a country where girls and women can be killed for a wrong gesture. It is not important how the story ends; what is important is the initiative not to tolerate violence against women and girls and to be proactive. These young activists who were saying “enough is enough” are showing dignity – dishonourable are those who let these crimes happen and who do nothing when a large proportion of the female population is raped, imprisoned, forcibly married, or marginalised. I hope that this manual will help to give as many women as possible the knowledge of how they can support their sisters in solidarity, for themselves and for the future of Afghanistan, because they are Afghanistan’s future! 1 Name has been changed. Acknowledgements │ Gurcharan Virdee The medica mondiale and UNHCR “Women at risk” project partnership started in January 2004, and it continued until 2007. Its purpose was to provide protection responses to women at risk or victims of violence. It aimed at supporting Afghan women activists and NGOs, as well as the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) and its provincial departments to strengthen their capacity for assisting women at risk. While the project main sites were Kabul, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Gardiz and the Northern provinces, it continued to expand nationally to other provinces. The pro- ject focused on capacity building and enhancing participants’ skills in the areas of case man- agement, counselling and family mediation. In addition, it aimed to increase the establishment of referral and coordination mechanisms for cases of violence against women – with safe houses as a last resort – and improving access to medical and legal services. This project had many strengths, and one of them was the wonderful cooperation and partner- ships with both the international and national communities, who continue to work together to tackle injustices and promote women’s rights. The activities related to violence against women mushroomed in different directions and continued to gain strength and momentum not only in Mazar-i-Sharif, but throughout the country. The national and international communities and cer- tain individuals were incredibly supportive of medica mondiale’s work and to me on a personal level. This manual is a fruitful result of these partnerships, support, enthusiasm and friendships. I would have liked to mention particular individuals by name who were important to the work of medica mondiale and to me, and who in their particular efforts promoted the development of work on violence against women. Unfortunately, the security situation remains unstable, and I am not able to do so, lest the context be misinterpreted. Many thousands of women's (and men's) lives have already been lost or are under threat, and the subject matter in this manual deals with issues that are already very sensitive in Afghanistan. Hence, medica mondiale and UNHCR de- cided not to mention any names or use any pictures that can identify individuals. My great hope with this manual is that it will be a progressive step towards empowering women and men to dis- cuss and debate issues in order to effect change. I would like to thank all UNHCR staff involved in the women at risk project.