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UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND (UNFPA) AND UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN FUND (UNICEF) TOOK THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS THE IMPROVEMENT OF SERVICES TO SURVIVORS OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS, THROUGH A TRAINING IN KABUL FOR NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO ASSIST GIRLS, BOYS AND WOMEN IN NEED

On Monday 13 May, 27 participants from seven provinces assembled at Park Star Hotel in Kabul to learn about gender based violence (GBV) and child protection in emergencies. The four days workshop was organized by UNFPA and UNICEF in Afghanistan, and the participants came from organizations who assist survivors of gender based violence, or who are members of Child Protection Action Networks.

STRENGTHENING AFGHANISTAN'S NATIONAL POLICE FORCE TO ADDRESS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

KABUL, Afghanistan - "When I was 14 my family married me to an addict who continuously bit me and our two children. One day I decided to return to my own family, but after my father died I couldn't afford to take care of myself and the kids. I was so desperate that I wanted to commit suicide. Then I decided to go to the police, and they sent me to the shelter where I live now," says Fawzia, 23, who lives in a women's shelter in the capital city. Her story is one of many in Afghanistan that show how easily women can fall out of the social protection system because of violence within the family. Read more

ESCAPING CHILD MARRIAGE IN AFGHANISTAN

"I am educated, that is why I could refuse my parents' decision. But my sister is only 13 years old, and they will marry her with that old man," said Freshta with tears in her eyes. Read more

FEATURE STORY: AFGHANISTAN CONFIRMS MATERNAL MORTALITY DECLINE IN THE PAST TEN YEARS

Data on maternal mortality is difficult to collect in any country but particularly challenging in Afghanistan because insecurity prevents access to data, severe terrain, lack of transportation infrastructure and weather conditions makes many communities very hard to reach, cultural factors prevent women from having the freedom to fully discuss certain topics and cultural factors that define death in different ways (ie, the death of an infant within the first 40 days is not typically recorded by families or communities) create uncertainty on the data currently available. Read more

THE Y-PEER VOLUNTEER GLOBAL NETWORK REACHES KABUL
THANKS TO UNFPA AFGHANISTAN

"We are training these peer educators on how to transfer information to other youth in a way that they will be able to absorb and use it. We will talk about best learning methodologies for youth, information sharing with youth, the perceptions on sexual and reproductive health, attitudes and values of youth and working together with youth as adults and supporting them" - said Shubha Kayastha, the international coordinator in charge of advocacy for Y-Peer, during the 5 days training in Afghanistan. Read more

REWARDING THE HEROIC WORK OF MIDWIVES IN AFGHANISTAN

KABUL - In mid-December, Maliha walked for five days to reach Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan, in northeastern Afghanistan, to receive her award as best midwife in the province. She felt proud as she went onstage to be honoured for her work in her community health clinic. Though Maliha is just 25 years old, she is a local hero, having delivered hundreds of babies since graduating from the Community Midwives Education Programme six years ago. Read more

WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND ISLAM IN AFGHANISTAN

"In my opinion most cases of violence against women occur because the man and woman do not marry each other wilingly.  Forced marriages can mean making two very different people with little understanding of each other, live below one roof. In Islam the woman and man should know each other and consent to marry each other", says Mohammad Ewaz Fahimi, Head of the Haj and Islamic Affairs Directorate Yakawlang, during a Women's Rights and Islam Training conducted by UNFPA in Kabul. Read more

THE NATIONAL POLICE ACADEMY INCLUDES GENDER BASED VIOLENCE TRAINING IN ITS REGULAR CURRICULA THANKS TO UNFPA TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Highlighting the positive role the civil security mechanisms can have in preventing violence against women and other forms of gender based violence (GBV), UNFPA cooperated with the Ministry of Interior to assist the National Police Academy (NPA) in developing its educational curricula.  It assisted NPA in performing a full review of the NPA curricula, and enabled the development of the tailor-made training manual "Police Taking Action on Violence against Women in Afghanistan" and related course curricula. Read more

SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF OBSTETRIC FISTULA IN AFGHANISTAN

Doctor Pashtoon Kohestani, has been working in Malalai Maternity Hospital for twenty years. Since 2009 she is leading the Malalai Maternity Hospital Fistula Centre. For the past three years Ms. Kohestani has assisted more than 400 women suffering of obstetric fistula. "Women with some of the worst fistula cases have been operated successfully at Malalai Maternity Hospital. I get a lot of satisfaction with the work we are doing at the Fistula Centre. Our patient, Sabza, who was rejected by all hospitals, arrived at the Malalai Maternity Hospital when she had lost all hope of getting any treatment. After her operation, she feels like she was given a new life", said Dr. Pashtoon. Read more

UNFPA STANDS BY THE AFGHAN YOUTH

"Today women make up 25% of the members of parliament in Afghanistan, and it is hoped that through greater coordination and cooperation between youth organizations and women's organizations, and by grooming young female politicians, women will be eventually able to have 50% representation in the Afghan parliament. That is how it should be", said Jamila, an Information and Technology student at the Kabul University who attended a Youth Round Table organized by UNFPA. Read more

MIDWIVES ARE KEY TO SAFE DELIVERIES FOR AFGHANI WOMEN

September 20, 2011 marks the one-year anniversary of Every Woman, Every Child, a global effort to achieve country-led commitments to bring life-saving health care to millions of women and children in the developing world by 2015.

"Today a midwife [who] graduates from a [community midwifery education] programme is a woman well respected by the community," Saleha says. "She can earn her own salary, and she represents a role model for the future generation. A midwife is not only saving women and children's lives, she is also bringing a huge contribute to a more equal Afghanistan." Read more