Every year on 8th March, International Women's Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women - while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance. From grassroots activism to worldwide action, from #Metoo to #TimesUp, we’re in the midst of an exciting period of history where the world expects balance, everywhere. There’s never been a better time to raise your voice for gender equality.

In 2019 we marked International Women’s Day by celebrating the wonderful women we work with across Afghanistan, the men who support them and our staff who work closely with them. Together, we can build a more balanced society for a better future. This year we've got something even more exciting up our sleeves. Here's some highlights from last year, when we struck the pose #BalanceForBetter:

Maria, the elected leader of a women’s self-help group established by Afghanaid, says, “A husband and wife should support one another, rather than one be dependant on the other. They should work together and society should be more balanced. Women are strong and have equal capacities and abilities as men, and should be recognised for this. With Afghanaid’s help, this is starting to happen for women in my community.” Continue reading >>

Empower more women like Maria

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Benafsha is the headmistress of Namazga Girl’s High School. Afghanaid worked with her to build a wall that now protects the students from flash floods and avalanches. Women and girls across Afghanistan still face major barriers to education. We are working to change this.

Take action and ensure more women and girls get the education they deserve

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Engineer Halim is one of our Deputy Project Managers, working to support displaced families across Afghanistan. "Women are a big part of our society - female empowerment leads to the empowerment of the whole community. When you lift a woman up, you lift up society."

Empower a woman to empower her whole community

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Elaaha started her job at Afghanaid as an intern based in our head office in Kabul and has since been promoted to Programme Development and Reporting Assistant. "Starting my career at Afghanaid was one of the best experiences of my life. Afghanaid has provided me with the opportunity to learn new skills and unlock my potential by working alongside a team of highly capable men and women. Now, I feel very motivated and confident that I can achieve my goals and go all the way to the top of my career. I believe that building the capacity of women is crucial to empowering women, and Afghanaid is making great contributions towards achieving this goal."

Give more women the opportunity to achieve their goals

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Vicki is one of our Programme Development Officers based in London, working to develop new projects. "Empowering and unlocking the potential of women is so crucial to tackling poverty and promoting long-term development in Afghanistan. Women need to have a voice in decision making - at all levels from the household to national policy - and must be able to make their own choices about their lives, from completing their education and getting a job, to if and when they wish to start a family. When developing and implementing our projects, Afghanaid strives to ensure women are involved in decision-making at all stages and participate equally alongside men."

ENSURE MORE WOMEN CAN UNLOCK THEIR TRUE POTENTIAL

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Noordin is our IT Officer in our head office in Kabul. "All men and women should be equal, and all women should be allowed to work so they can support their families and communities as men do. Working for Afghanaid alongside women, it feels like working in a harmonious family!"

Support more Afghan women get into work

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