To improve the EVAW commissions’ role in tackling sexual harassment and to share the research findings, WCLRF held a provincial conference in Herat province on December 16, 2017. In this conference, the EVAW commission members including governor deputy, head of DoWA, Balkh Provincial Council, CSOs and media had participated. Thanking the participants and sharing WCLRF’s major achievements in regard with tackling sexual harassment, Mr. Zabihullah Jawad, WCLRF’s legal advisor, shared the research report’s findings and its recommendations.

During the panel discussions, Mrs. Monisa Hassanzada, the governor deputy, Mrs. Aziza Karimi, head of DoWA, head of department of Justice, Mr. Rahimi, head of AIHRC’s sub-office, head of Haj and Awqaf and Mr. Pedram, a member of provincial council expressed their strong support and committing in tackling sexual harassment and implementing the findings and recommendations of the research report. “I really appreciate the efforts made by WCLRF in conjuction with sexual harassment, especially their effective in drafting the Ant-harassment regulation and cooperation with Parliament in finalizing the Anti-Harassment against Women and  Children Law,” said Mrs. Hassan Zada. She also added that in order to effectively fight against sexual harassment, a strong working group including families, governmental and non-governmental organizations must be established and oral commitments must be put in action.

The panelists in addition to affirming the research’s findings, expressed their support and commitment in creating a violence-free environment both in families and communities for women and girls. The event followed by question and answer session and concluding speeches by the panelists.

The Women’s Advocacy Committee held its eighth advocacy meeting with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive of the National Unity Government, on Assad 23 rd , 1397, to continuation of its advocacy meetings. During this meeting, in addition to following up the implemented issues, the below matters were discussed:
1. Restrictions on resources for institutions working in line with women’s rights.
2. The problems of female candidates in parliamentary elections 1397,
3. The consequences of peace and cease-fire with the Taliban.
Regarding the problems of female candidates in the 1397 parliamentary elections, Dr. Abdullah in addition to emphasizing the past commitments, and said that the government is required to contextualization of women’s active participation in all sectors of the system. Dr. Abdullah Abdullah spoke about the consequences of the ceasefire with the Taliban in details. Finally, after addressing the resource constraints for women’s rights organizations, he said: After identifying the problems and challenges, they will talk with national and international organizations in this regard”.

On Tuesday July 31, 2018 (according to Asad 9th, 1397) the 67th Provincial EVAW commission meeting was held in Balkh, under the chairmanship of Mr. Alhaj Mohammad Bashir Tawhidi the deputy of Balkh’s Governor and was facilitated by WCLRF’s legal adviser. In addition to following up the previous meeting’s decisions, report on women’s situation of Dehdadi district, Justice directorate’s function on decreasing violence against women and statistics of violence against women were presented. In order to address the precise needs and responsiveness of the authorities in preventing and reducing violence against women, applied decisions were adopted at this meeting and responsibilities and follow-up actions were set up for each member of the commission until the next commission meeting.

By the facilitation of WCLRF’s legal adviser, the 64th Parwan Provincial EVAW commission meeting was held on 29th July, 2018 (according to 7th Asad 1397) with the presence of 20 persons, under the chairmanship of Provincial governor, General Fazil udin Ayyar in the DoWA’s office. During the meeting, following up on the decision of the past sessions, the report on the activities of the agencies about fighting violence against women, how to conduct the meetings of Elimination of the Persecution of Women and Children’s Commission and merging that with the meetings of EVAW commission according to MoWA’s instruction, conducting public awareness sessions in universities for the Law and Sharia’s students, were discussed and effective decisions were made to optimize the process of handling cases of violence against women and preventing increased violence against women and the responsibilities of the member offices were specified according to their working field.

Day one: Training has been started with introduction of field researches and participant of the training from six provinces ( Kabul, Kandahar, Parwan, Balkh, Nangerhar, and Bakhshan) province, which was shortly started by introduction of the program (Malala Fund) the partners who would be involved in this program and where we would conduct the research, importance of Education, Education strategy of Afghanistan and its millennium development goal has been highlighted. The training was focused on Research Methodology, Methods and techniques of data collection, Ethics of field researcher and attitudes toward approaching the target group.
On day two of the training: which mostly practical and screening of the questionnaires to further familiarise the researchers to the type of questions, and the focus groups in order to ease and to better facilitate to prevent any sort of confusions while doing in the field. Each of the participants played the role of field researcher and another correspondent by their term and three of the new candidates played the role of person who would conduct the Focus groups discussions. At the end of the two days training, everyone was briefed and responded to their questions regarding the set of questionnaires and as well as about selection of the target groups in the provinces. The team was assigned to do a pre-test before starting actual practice in the field so that further figure out any possible challenges in any points.

WCLRF organized its first meeting with the advocacy Group of Every Voice Count Project on 17th July, 2019.  The meeting was conducted at the main campus of WCLRF, and 18 participants from the implementing agencies of EVC have participated including Civil Society members who have active membership of advocacy Committees.

Throughout the meeting, the major activities of 2019 of EVC Program have been presented and explained to the meeting participants, and simultaneously, the meeting participants worked on plane for Advocacy Association, established a bilateral cooperation mechanism, and discussed the role of Advocacy Association in terms of exploring the objectives of EVC Programs in the targeted provinces.  The participants considered the role of Advocacy Association of EVC program as stepping stone to increase the meaningful participation of women at local level, and the participants have also demonstrated commitment to support the Advocacy activities at National and Local level whenever required.

In addition to the above discussions, discussing the capacity building session or the Advocacy Association was also the essential part of the meeting, and the date, time and venue for the next meeting was assigned and confirmed with the consultation of meeting participants.

On 2nd February 2020, Women Advocacy Committee were held with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah chief executive of the unity government of the Islamic republic of Afghanistan.

In this meeting, the members of advocacy committee discussed about election process complain review, providing transparency in the electoral process, women active participation in peace process, female activists concern about increasing of violence against women in the country and as well as Citizens’ concerns about increased insecurity and robberies in Kabul.
The advocacy committee members called for elimination of frauds in the elections and announcement of transparent results in guaranteeing public confidence in the upcoming elections and the democratic process, and called on the Chief Executive to take decisive action in the electoral process.
As well as, advocacy team emphasized on active participation of women in peace process and prevention from increasing of violence against women and insecurities in capital and suggested that government should take important steps to solve this issues.
Chief executive of the unity government of the Islamic republic of Afghanistan replied to the questions and requests of advocacy committee group and said: (As people have seen and are better aware, we have made a serious effort to ensure transparency in the electoral process, and we have always said that we only want a transparent and free of fraud result).
In accordance to women active participation in peace process we have taken necessary actions to avoid violence against women, and constructive measures have also been taken. On the rise of insecurity in Kabul, he said (that war is the cause of insecurity, but security officials are given the necessary guidance every day and I am also heavily pursued).
“And as well we might create a committee in order to work on design of peace process and he said he will let some female members from advocacy group to contribute in peace process design”

In relation to terrorist attack on the maternity hospital in Kabul, the attack on the funeral prayer in Nangarhar and also the attack on the convoy of security forces in Laghman province.

The terrorist group attacked on the (100-beds maternity hospital of Dasht-e-Berchi) hospital in the western part of Kabul, assassinated pregnant women and their new born babies, was the most atrocious and inhumane form of terrorist attack against defenseless civilians.

In all religious principles and values, especially in the principles of the holy religion of Islam, human rights and laws of warfare, any attack on defenseless civilians and places like hospitals, such as the assassination of vulnerable women and children, is a barbaric act and a war crime which needs to be investigated seriously. This attack clearly demonstrates that these terrorist groups (Taliban and ISIS) do not believe in neither religious principles nor in basic human rights.

Continuing with their past crimes, yesterday they committed a horrific and unforgivable deed. The same goes for their attack on the funeral in Nangarhar which caused the death of a mass number of unarmed civilians, their attack on the convoy of security forces, and the martyrdom of dozens of people during the holy month of Ramadan. The Women Advocacy group condemning these terrorist attacks, called the attack on the 100 bed maternity hospital a clear example of the war crimes that these terrorist groups commit and calls on the international community, the countries of the region, the Organization of Islamic States, the War Crimes Tribunal and human rights groups to put an end to their silence on the ruthless assassination of the Afghan people and take action to condemn these acts and to investigate for further and ultimate clarification.

We call on the government of the United States of America, as a donor country to Afghanistan and a key party in the peace process with Taliban, to not remain silent regarding the Taliban’s crimes and to put an end to the war and to their crimes. We call on the government of Afghanistan and its officials to put an end to the totalitarianism, corruption and inadequacy in the country and to punish the people whose negligence and collusion have allowed these attacks to take place and to introduce them to the public

The people of Afghanistan’s patience and tolerance for inadequacy, injustice and corruption in the government has come to end and they are weary of living in these circumstances. We believe that such consecutive attacks are carried out with the involvement of officials from within the system who are only in the system as a consequence of their ethnic orientation and corruption. Until the system is cleansed from these traitors and corrupt people, unfortunately, these war crimes and atrocities will continue to plague the country and would result that people being powerless against losing their loved ones’ lives in these terrorist attacks.

Afghanistan is on the verge of peace with the peace negotiations, but with totalitarianism, incompetence, and injustice in the system, on the one hand, and threat that the Taliban pose, on the other, the future of these negotiations seems bleak for the people. It is important not to forget all the aspects of the warfare, human norms, human rights and the protection of the defenseless civilians in society, especially the women and children. It is also time for the Council of Islamic scholars of Afghanistan and other Islamic countries and organizations to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the terrorist groups such as the Taliban and ISIS, in order to prevent these groups from recruiting the ignorant youth of these afflicted Islamic countries.

Once again, while condemning these crimes, we call on the government of Afghanistan and the leadership of the Afghan government to renounce the totalitarianism and authoritarianism prevalent in the country and to take effective and transparent actions to review their policies of war and peace in the current situation.

Women Advocacy Group,5/13/2020 Kabul-Afghanistan

WCLRF team launched its research report on Girls access to education (Opportunities and challenges) venue Government Media center of Afghanistan in Tuesday/24th of December with the presence of Honorable Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (chief executive of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) Dr. Mirwais Balkhi ( Minister of MOE) Miss Nabila Mosleh ( Deputy of Mowa ) Miss Palwasha Hassan ( Director of AWEC) and Miss. Zarqa Yaftali ( Director of WCLRF) Government authorities, representatives of civil society and International organizations and Media/press.

The purpose of the publication of the research report was to analyze the current situation, opportunities, challenges, and key factors behind girls leaving education in Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Nangarhar, Badakhshan and Parwan provinces, to help the government, especially for the Ministry of Education to provide programs for girl’s education on behalf of this report.

In this conference Honorable Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (chief executive of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) said: Growth and development is impossible without the participation of women, Girls access to education and women active participation in different levels of society is the first priority of government. We urge the religious leaders of civil society organizations and various social groups to collaborate on girls’ access to education. “Dr. Abdullah pointed to the process of peace and women’s rights’’ While peace is a critical need for our country, our people will not allow women’s natural and human rights to be sacrificed in peace negotiations,,

Education is the natural right of women and no one can take it away from them. ”

Dr. Mirwais Balkhi (Minister of MOE) said: 65% students who are out of school is girls in all of its education policies, the ministry has put girls’ education at the forefront of its agenda. ”

The girls ‘education policy sets out ways to ensure girls’ social security in partnership with existing institutions MoE has taken action for lack of female teacher and he said that this year 7500 female teacher has been recruited and will recruit female teachers in future up to 50%.

Miss Nabila Mosleh (Deputy of MOWA) said:  first of all she thanked this organization for conducting such an effective research and the ministry will use the findings of this report to conduct awareness raising programs for women.

Miss Palwasha Hassan: she talked about girl’s education importance and the importance of educating women and concerns highlighted the impact of peace talks and the non-negotiation of women’s rights in peace talks.

Miss Zarqa Yaftali( Director of WCLRF) : she requested government authorities to implement the national action plan, ban child marriage , create education council, pay teachers salary on timely basis, provide clean drinking water and separate toilets in schools. This report is done with the help of Malala Fund which was started from July 2018 and finished in the August 2019. The studcovered all aspects of girls’ education to make the research fully accessible to governments, institutions and citizens.