Afghan Women's Network

The Afghan Women's Network (AWN) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which was created in 1996 by Afghan women following the World Conference on Women in Beijing and works to "empower women and ensure their equal participation in Afghan society."[1]

About

The AWN sustains the vision of an Afghanistan in which women & men live in a justice and discrimination free society. AWN's axis of focus are:[2][3]

  • Women, peace and security
  • Women's political participation and leadership
  • Women's social and legal protection

The AWN acts as a foundation supporting other women's rights-oriented NGO in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The AWN receives funding from donor agencies such as the French Embassy, ActionAid, UNHCR, and Roland Berger Foundation. It operates from Kabul, Heart, Balkh, Kandahar, Bamyan, Paktia, Nangarhar, and Kunduz, ... It has more than 3,500 individual members (exclusively women) and 125 women's organizations with memberships.[4]

Executive board members have included Manizha Wafeq[5] and the current executive director is Hassina Safi.[6]

History

The Afghan Women's Network was established in 1995. Women who had participated in the United Nation Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China decided that they wanted to create a network for Afghan women.[3]

In 2013, The AWN played an active role in the curation of the exhibit Women Between Peace and War: Afghanistan by Leslie Thomas from ArtWORKS Projects for Human Rights.[7]

In March 2014, the AWN launched the Afghan Women Vision 2024, the ONG's official newspaper supported by the Heinrich Boell Foundation.[8] In 2014, the ONG stated that 150 honor killings affected Afghan women each year.[9] Upon the progressive withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, the AWN brought its focus on maintaining the women's rights benefits gained during the presence of the US troops.[10]

In February 2015, the AWN took part to the marches asking the president Ashraf Ghani to respect his word and name 4 women ministries in his government for fair gender representation.[11] In 2016, the ONG spoke out about the revival of public executions of women in Afghanistan following the new peak of influence from the Talibans.[12]

Governance
Board of Directors
[13]
  • February 2016 - February 2018: Shahla Fari, Zarqa Yaftali, Nooria Safi, Samira Hamidi, Roshan Sirran, Mary Akrami, Shafiqa Habibi
  • February 2014 - February 2016: Mary Akrami, Gul Makai Siawash, Maryam Rahmani, Shahla Farid, Arezoo Qanih, Samira Hamidi, Zarqa Yaftali
  • February 2012 - February 2014: Nasima Omari, HasFeina Safi, Mahbooba Sij, Shinkaj Karokhail, Lida Nadery Hedayat, Manizha Wafiq, Ruqia Azizi
  • February 2010 - February 2012: Homa Alizoi, Hazina Safi, Najila Ayoobi, Shahla Farid, Selay Ghafar
Management Team
[14]
  • Executive Director: Mrs. Hassina Safi
  • Admin/HR Manager: Ms. Wazhma Popal
  • Networking Manager: Mrs. Roshna Mashal
  • Advocacy/Law Manager: Mrs. Robina Hamdard

See also

Reference List
  1. "Web site of The Afghan Women's Network". Afghanwomennetwork.af. Archived from the original on 2011-08-15. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  2. "Afghan Women's Network". www.awn-af.net. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  3. "Insight on Conflict". Insight on Conflict. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  4. "AWN History". www.awn-af.net. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  5. "Kardan University". www.kardan.edu.af. Archived from the original on 2016-12-24. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
  6. Filippini, Simone (9 March 2015). "Time To Fund Women's Role in the Cause of Peace". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  7. James Kochien (30 September 2013). "Photos/Interview: Arresting Images Capture Afghan Women 'Between Peace and War'". Asiasociety.org. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  8. "Afghan Women Vision 2024". Boell.de. 10 March 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  9. Rod Nordland (3 May 2014). "In Spite of the Law, Afghan 'Honor Killings' of Women Continue". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  10. Anne Steele (6 January 2015). "Afghanistan: Women's rights make big gains". Csmonitor.com. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  11. Sune Engel Rasmussen (3 February 2015). "Afghan women protest at absence of female ministers in new cabinet". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  12. Mari Shibata (16 May 2016). "The Taliban Is Publicly Executing Women Again". Vice.com. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  13. "AWN Board of Directors". www.awn-af.net. Retrieved 2017-07-16.
  14. "AWN Management Team". www.awn-af.net. Retrieved 2017-07-16.


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