Citizens’ and in particular women access to their basic rights in Afghanistan is one of the main topics connected to Afghanistan sustainable development, peace and state building. Afghanistan ranks near the bottom of virtually every index measuring human rights, gender equality and governance. Afghan women continue to struggle for their basic rights, including access to standard health and education, access to justice, security, gender parity, economic opportunities, social inclusion, and political participation. Amidst a deteriorating security situation, political instability and economic volatility, it is increasingly important that Afghan women receive more attention and become active participants in their public life aiming to access to and practice their basic rights. 

In spite the rollout of national initiatives to improve women rights by Afghanistan government and international community, still there are different challenges affecting Afghan women’s Civil, Political, Social and Economic rights. Some of these challenges rooted into Afghanistan’s social structures, culture and local communities’ customs while some of them are directly related to citizens’ level of knowledge about legislations, governance system and structures. As a consequence, Afghan women are experiencing different kinds of human rights violation due to very strict social structure and customs and as well as lack of knowledge on processing their complains to the related institutions. Particularly this problem is very common in the rural areas. Depends on level of illiteracy in different local communities, women’s vulnerability are different. Though, general lack of knowledge among women and limited access to governmental institutions are the main challenges affecting women rights in rural areas.

In order to deal with above mentioned challenges, a native mechanism is needed to effectively improve the women rights situation without increasing social sensitivity and negative reaction of citizens. 

For this reason, AHRRAO is proposed this initiative aiming to improve women rights situation at the grassroots using multidimensional technical approaches at different levels of community, district and provincial level.

Taking into consideration that GIZ initiative on development of Gender Focal Point GFP concept and effective role of GFPs at the district level, AHRRAO is proposing through this project to support GIZ-GFP initiative to improve gender equality via increasing GFPs’ role at the village and district level, localizing this native approach and improve GFPs’ effectiveness in connecting local communities to district and provincial level authorities. This project will also improve coordination level between local elders and local authorities to resolve women’s problem at the local level and provide advises for women at risk to follow with their case in the correct related governmental institutions. 

Project main outcome

Gender Focal Points GFPs at the district level are able to find and realize women rights cases from community level, provide advises for women in need and refer women rights violation cases to related governmental institution to be resolved in accordance to the law.

For more information about the project please contact AHRRAO.