usaid promote: women in government quarterly progress reportpdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/pa00mrws.pdf ·...
TRANSCRIPT
April 30, 2017
This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It
was prepared by Chemonics International Inc.
USAID Promote: Women in Government
Quarterly Progress Report
Quarter I1: January 2017 – March 2017
IDIQ No. AID-306-I-14-00012
Task Order No. AID-306-TO-15-00044
April 30, 2017 This publication was produced by Chemonics International Inc. for review by the United States Agency for
International Development. The author’s view expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the
views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States Government.
DISCLAIMER
The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States
Agency for International Development or the United States government.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN
GOVERNMENT QUARTERLY REPORT
JANUARY 2017 - MARCH 2017
Contract No. AID-306-I-14-00012, Task Order No. AID-306-TO-15-00044
Cover photo: Interns at Kabul learn how to prepare a recruitment announcement during their
Human Resources Management Training.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | I
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
CONTENTS Contents ................................................................................................................... i
Acronyms ................................................................................................................ ii
Executive Summary ............................................................................................... 1
Project Overview ................................................................................................... 5
Women’s Entry into Decision-Making Roles in Government Service
Facilitated ............................................................................................................... 7
PIR 1.1: Internship Program Established and Operational .................................................... 7
PIR 1.2 Interns trained in work and life skills ........................................................................13
PIR 1.3: Number of Interns Hired for Full Time Positions in Government Increased .14
PIR 1.4: Professional Development of Women Who Work in Government Enhanced
..........................................................................................................................................................17
Hospitable Environment for Female Staff in Government Encouraged ....... 18
PIR 2.1: Policies that benefit women in government improved and implemented ........18
PIR 2.2: Obstacles in the Workplace for Women in Government Identified and
Solutions Recommended ............................................................................................................23
Local Stakeholder Support for Women in Civil Service Increased................ 24
PIR 3.1: Plan to Communicate with Individuals who may Influence Public or Private
Opinions about Women in Government Designed and Implemented ............................24
PIR 3.2: Champions for Women in Government Identified and Empowered ................25
PIR 3.3: Innovative Media Campaigns to Encourage Behavior Change Designed and
Supported .......................................................................................................................................25
PIR 3.4: Campaign to Recruit Interns Developed and Implemented ................................29
Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Activities .................................................... 30
Planned Activities For Next Reporting Period ................................................. 32
Annex .................................................................................................................... 34
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | II
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
ACRONYMS
ACSI Afghanistan Civil Service Institute
ALDO Afghan Learning and Development Organization
AGC Afghan Geodesy and Cartography
AMEP Activity Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
AOP Administrative Office of the President
APPF Afghanistan Public Protection Force
BIP/MP Branding and Implementation Plan and Marking Plan
CAA Civil Aviation Authority
CAG Content Advisory Group
CBR Capacity Building for Results
CSO Civil Society Organization
CEO Chief Executive Officer
DM Deputy Minister
DoWA Directorate of Women’s Affairs
EA Equal Access
EAA Equal Access Afghanistan
EPD Equality for Peace and Democracy
GBV Gender Based Violence
GDCLCA General Directorate of Coordination for Local Councils’ Affairs
GIRoA Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
HR Human Resources IARCSC Independent Administrative Reform Civil Service Commission
IDIQ Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity
IDLG Independent Directorate of Local Governance
IPU Internship Program Unit
IVR Interactive Voice Response
MAIL Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock
MCIT Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
MoBTA Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs
MoCI Ministry of Commerce and Industries
MoCN Ministry of Counter Narcotics
MoD Ministry of Defense
MoEW Ministry of Energy and Water
MoF Ministry of Finance
MoHE Ministry of Higher Education
MoHRA Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs
MoIA Ministry of Interior Affairs
MoIC Ministry of Information and Culture
MoJ Ministry of Justice
MoLSAMD Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled
MoMP Ministry of Mines and Petroleum
MoPH Ministry of Public Health
MoPW Ministry of Public Works
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | III
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
MoTCA Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation
MoWA Ministry of Women’s Affairs
MRRD Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development
MUDH Ministry of Urban Development and Housing
OAE Office of Atomic Energy
OVATV One Village, A Thousand Voices (radio program)
RSI Rahman Safi Consultancy
ToT Training of Trainers
USAID United States Agency for International Development
WCSA Women’s Civil Service Association
WIE Women in the Economy
WLD Women in Leadership Development
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 1
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Internship Program
In March, the last remaining intern from the Pilot Cohort has accepted a job offer from
the Upper House of the Parliament, bringing all 16 interns from the pilot group to have
been employed after their graduation from USAID Promote: Women in Government
internship program.
As of the end of the reporting period, more than 1,000 women were actively engaged in
the 12-month internship training that would prepare them for employment in the civil
service. Over 100 university graduates belonging to Cohort One completed the program
in March while two new groups opened during the reporting period: Cohort Three based
at Moraa in Kabul, and Cohort Four based at DoLSAMD in Herat, the first group to start
in the provincial centers. The table below provides a summary of the four current
internship groups undertaking government office practicum and civil service classroom
training.
Table 1. Internship Program
Internship Cohort Training Location End Date No. of Interns
Cohort One Kabul MRRD; various
agencies for practicum 25-Mar-2017 102
Cohort Two Kabul MoLSAMD 30-Oct-2017 342
Cohort Three Kabul Moraa 28-Jan-2018 530
Cohort Four Herat DoLSAMD 4-Feb-2018 140
TOTAL 1,114
Cohort One moved into the final phase of the internship program, which is a three-
month practicum in government offices in Kabul. They have been embedded in 17
ministries and four independent agencies1 since December 2016 and successfully
1 The line ministries and independent agencies host the interns for the three-month office practicum during
the 12-month internship program. These organizations include: Ministry of Counter Narcotics (MCN),
Ministry of Finance (MoF), Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MoCI), Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation
and Livestock (MAIL), Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC),
Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled (MoLSAMD), Ministry of Urban Development and
Housing (MUDH), Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT), Ministry of Borders
and Tribal Affairs (MoBTA), Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), Ministry of
Women’s Affairs (MoWA), Ministry of Public Works (MoPW), Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Ministry
of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP), Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) and Ministry of Defense
(MoD). The four independent agencies include Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG),
General Directorate of Coordination for Local Councils’ Affairs (GDCLCA), Office of the Chief Executive
Officer, and Independent Administrative Reform Civil Service Commission (IARCSC).
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 2
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
completed the program requirements in March. The 102 graduates were awarded a work
certificate equivalent to one year of work experience, during the Networking Event held
on March 25th. Three interns from this group have found employment in government
agencies as of the end of the reporting period.
Cohort Two, comprised of 342 university graduates based at MoLSAMD in Kabul,
completed the six-month civil service classroom training during March. The project team
prepared for the next phase of their internship program, a three-month leadership training
course that will be conducted by sister program, USAID Promote: Women in Leadership
Development (WLD).
Cohort Three began in January and
started their civil service training at the
Moraa Educational Complex in Kabul. The
530 women belonging to this group studied the fundamentals of civil service and
studied time management, office
management, effective communications
and reporting, records keeping and
archiving, and managing meetings. They
also began to study relevant chapters of
the civil service Law.
Cohort Four, the initial internship group
in the province of Herat, began their
training in February using the facilities of DoLSAMD. This group is comprised of 140
interns. They began their six-month civil service training with basic lessons in time
management, office management, effective communications and reporting, records
keeping and relevant chapters of the civil service law.
During the reporting period, the project continued the groundwork for the expansion of
the internship program to the provinces of Balkh and Kandahar and the opening of
another internship group in Kabul. The groups for Balkh and Kandahar are slated to begin
in April, while the new group in Kabul is set for May.
Relationship Building
The project team continued strengthening relationships with key GIRoA ministries and
independent agencies through regular consultations, meetings and collaborative activities.
Meetings were conducted with senior officials from MoIC, MoWA and MoF to secure
training sites and rally support for the internship program in Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kandahar
and soon in Nangarhar. To date, the project has facilitated the signing of four MoUs
between USAID and four government ministries, namely MoLSAMD, MoIA, IARCSC and
MoWA. The MoU with MoWA was signed in March. On the 17th of January, the project
team participated as presenters on the topic of harassment of women and children during
an Anti-Harassment conference organized by the Afghan Parliament’s Wolesi Jirga and the USAID-funded ALBA Project. In January, the project also visited 15 ministries, IDLG and
Interns perform a group exercise as their
instructor looks over.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 3
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
Kabul Municipality to monitor the interns embedded in these offices. In separate meetings,
the project team briefed the MoWA Deputy Minister Technical and Acting Minister of
MoIC on the top reform areas coming out of the Conference on Policy Reform for
Women in Government. Both officials noted the progress that has been accomplished by
the project and vowed to extend support to program goals and in securing buy-in of the
policy reforms from ministries. The team likewise participated in a meeting called by MoF
to discuss GIRoA’s commitments in the Brussels Conference: increasing women
representation in the government by two percent - almost 8,000 positions from 2017
through 2018. The MoF Deputy Minister for Policy cited USAID Promote: Women in
Government as directly helping the government to respond to this commitment.
Policy and Research
On February 12-13, 2017, the project conducted the Conference on Policy Reform for
Women in Government (also referred to in previous reports as Offeror’s Conference)
to identify reform areas that will support hospitable working environments for women in government. The conference was attended by 113 participants including 66 key staff from
22 ministries and 10 independent agencies. The reform areas that were identified were
subsequently conveyed to the MoWA Deputy Minister Technical during a meeting, and
were exhaustively discussed in a workshop during the Networking Event conducted in
March. Ministry officials including Human Resources (HR) Directors, Planning Officers,
heads of Gender Units and the interns proposed and debated different solutions to best
address the reform areas and identified the government institutions that should
implement them. In March, the project completed the collection of data for two formative
province-focused studies – Gender Analysis II and Partnership Assessment II – conducted
in Herat, Balkh, Kandahar and Nangarhar. The Gender Analysis was conducted to
determine how men and women relate to project activities; how local gender norms will
shape project design and implementation; identify opportunities for male engagement. The
Partnership Assessment considered the level of interest of sub-national government
offices to engage in partnership opportunities with USAID Promote: Women in
Government. The second round of these studies will shape the project’s programming as
activities expand to the provinces.
Communications and Outreach
Several outreach activities were conducted by the project during the reporting period. In
February, the Champion Strategy proposal was approved by USAID. The Champion
Strategy is an initiative to identify and empower champions in government and increase
their visibility as models for positive behavior change. Eight program episodes of One
Village, A Thousand Voices (OVATV) were aired during the months of January and February.
Public forums and roundtable discussions were conducted in Herat and Balkh during the
period and film productions of two outreach events in Herat were aired over local TV
stations. As a preparatory step for the launching of the internship program in Herat and
Balkh provinces, the project conducted University Workshops in the two areas.
Deliverables
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 4
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
The project submitted the following deliverables during the quarter: a) the monthly
progress reports and financial reports for January, February and March 2017; b) Success
Stories: How I Became Confident, Herat Female Graduates Welcomed, and Humor Drives
Home the Point; and (c) Champion Strategy.
Challenges and Opportunities
In the early part of the reporting period, the project team encountered delays in the
finalization of the MoU between USAID with MoWA. As a result, the project experienced
a delayed startup of its training program in MoWA’s facility in Balkh province. The MoU
was finally signed by both parties at the end of the quarter.
The project partner MoLSAMD, who is hosting Cohort Two, experienced operational
problems (reliable electricity and adequate security at its Kabul training facility) and the
project team coordinated with MoLSAMD senior management to plan for security
upgrades at the training site.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 5
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
PROJECT OVERVIEW
➢ Period of Performance: April 21, 2015 – April 20, 2020
➢ Name of Prime Implementing Partner: Chemonics International Inc.
➢ Names of Subcontractors/Sub-awardees:
• Equal Access (EA)
• Afghan Learning and Development Organization (ALDO)
• Equality for Peace and Democracy (EPD)
• Dreshak Hotel Services
• Services International, LLC
• Afghanistan Public Protection Force (APPF)
➢ Geographic Coverage: Afghanistan
Promote is a joint commitment by the United States (US) and Afghan governments that will work to empower 75,000 women between the ages of 18 and 30, and help ensure
that these women are included among a new generation of Afghan political, business, and
civil society leaders. Promote aims to empower women to become leaders alongside their
male counterparts, and ensure that they have the skills, experience, knowledge, and
networks to succeed.
USAID Promote: Women in Government, a task order under the Promote Indefinite
Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, was designed to increase and advance the
number of women in the Afghan civil service. In close coordination with MoWA, USAID
Promote: Women in Government aims to ensure women are represented at the highest
levels of policy and decision-making in Afghan society and government. This component
of Promote facilitates women’s entry into decision-making roles in government service,
encourages policy reform within the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
(GIRoA) at both the national and regional levels, increases support for women in
government, and establishes an internship program for high school and college-level
female students interested in working within government ministries.
The USAID Promote: Women in Government program has three objectives:
• Facilitate women’s entry into decision-making roles in government service;
• Encourage a hospitable environment for female staff in government; and
• Increase local stakeholder support for women in government.
Through the advancement of these objectives, USAID Promote: Women in Government
aims to achieve the following results:
• At least 3,000 female university graduates and high school graduates complete
the multifaceted internship program;
• 70 percent of Women in Government participants are employed by GIRoA
within 24 months of finishing their internship;
• 75 percent of GIRoA workplace policy reforms benefit and protect female
employees; and
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 6
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
• A 50 percent increase in local stakeholder buy-in for support of women working
outside the home.
The above results will be derived from the planned activities linked to the results
framework shown below in Exhibit 1.
Figure 1: Results Framework
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 7
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
WOMEN’S ENTRY INTO DECISION-
MAKING ROLES IN GOVERNMENT
SERVICE FACILITATED
PIR 1.1: INTERNSHIP PROGRAM ESTABLISHED AND OPERATIONAL
An increasing number of Afghan women are receiving university degrees, yet have limited
access to professional positions within the government due to limited practical work
experience and applicable skills. The multifaceted USAID Promote: Women in
Government internship program is designed to bridge these skill gaps.
1.1.1 Internship Program
Pilot Cohort. This quarter, the last intern from the 16-member Pilot Cohort, was hired
by the Upper House of the Parliament. The other 152 interns were hired by various
government institutions in prior quarters. Of the six interns working with the
Administration Office of the President (AOP), three were holding temporary
appointments, which ended in March, while the other three were engaged by the agency
as regular full time employees from the beginning. Before the contracts of the temporary
workers ended, the project actively coordinated with the HR unit of AOP to find regular
employment within the organization, but there were no available permanent positions
with AOP during the period. The project team will continue to assist the three interns in
finding full time jobs in the civil service. The table below shows the employment status of
interns from the Pilot Cohort.
Table 2. Employment of Pilot Interns in Civil Service
Government Organization Interns Employed
MoF 2
MoIC 1
MoLSAMD 2
MoPW 4
AOP 6
Parliament, Upper House 1
Total 16
2 One of the first women from the Pilot Cohort to be hired left her job at MoF in September 2016 for
personal reasons.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 8
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
Cohort One. In March, 102 Cohort One interns
successfully completed the year-long internship
program. The group fulfilled all the requirements
of the internship curriculum including the six-
month technical civil service curriculum, the
three-month leadership training that is
conducted by WLD, and the three-month
practicum wherein interns are embedded in
government offices for hands-on office work.
For their practicum, the interns were spread out
among 17 line agencies (MCN, MoF, MoCI,
MAIL, MoHE, MoIC, MoLSAMD, MUDH, MCIT,
MoBTA, MRRD, MoWA, MoPW, MoPH, MoMP,
MoTCA, MoD), four independent directorates
(IDLG, GDCLCA, IARCSC and Office of CEO) and the Municipality of Kabul. The interns welcomed the opportunity to assimilate into
the government office environment and apply their learning in professional workplace
situations. Throughout their practicum, the project team regularly performed monitoring
visits to offices where the interns were embedded, not only to check on the progress of
their training but also to discuss with the HR Directors potential permanent jobs for
them. The Cohort One internship concluded on March 25, 2017 and the MoLSAMD
Manpower Director presented the interns with work certificates equivalent to one year
of professional experience. Before the end of the quarter, three women from this group
had found permanent government employment – two with MUDH and one with MoBTA.
Cohort Two. This group of 342 university
graduates began the internship program on
October 31, 2016, and started with the
six-month civil service training at
MoLSAMD’s Institute for the Disabled in
Kabul. During this period, the interns
completed the comprehensive classroom
training where they studied project
management, financial management,
procurement management, strategy and
policy, HR management, computer
literacy, and basic office management. The
curriculum exposed the interns to the
different facets of civil service functions and
equipped them with basic knowledge to be able to work in any department of the
government. The interns will conclude their classroom training in April, ready to
commence the next phase of the internship, a three-month leadership training to be
conducted by WLD. Midway through the civil service module, in January 2017, the project
team conducted an overall evaluation of the training. The evaluation looked into three
general aspects namely: training logistics, learning modules, methodology, and trainers’ skills and techniques. The result of the study was mainly positive but the project took
Cohort Two interns attend an Obstacles Analysis
Training.
PIR I QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS
• 102 new interns graduated
• 4 interns employed
• 2 new internship groups started
with almost 700 women
• Expanded the internship
program to Herat province;
prepared for implementation in
Balkh and Kandahar
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 9
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
note of comments and suggestions to improve the interns’ learning experience such as
integrating more exercises and shortening the time for lectures. A few intern departures
occurred – from 351 at the start of the reporting period to 342 as of the end of March.
Most of the departing interns cited family or personal challenges as the primary reason
for leaving. Others left to accept job offers from other international organizations.
Cohort Three: This initial group of 540
university graduates entered the program
on January 28, 2017 and began their
training at Moraa Educational Complex in
Kabul. Their initial trainings focused on
time management, office management,
effective communications and reporting,
records keeping and archiving, and
managing meetings. They also began to study relevant chapters of the Civil Service
Law, introduction and basic concepts of
project management, policy/strategy
development and financial management. At
the end of the quarter, 10 women
departed from the program. Similar to
earlier departures, the majority left due to
family and personal issues, while others
cited job and educational opportunities.
The remaining 530 interns will continue for
three more months with the civil service
module, after which will move on to the
WLD leadership module.
Cohort Four: With 144 new university
graduates, Cohort Four is the first group
of interns from the province of Herat.
They began with civil service training on
February 4, 2017 conducted in training
space provided by Herat DoLSAMD.
Cohort Four’s initial lessons included time
management, office management, effective
communications and reporting, records
keeping and archiving, and managing meetings. The group further studied relevant
chapters of the Civil Service Law. The DoLSAMD Director welcomed the new interns
and enjoined to them to take the training seriously because it will make them competitive
for government jobs.
Monitoring During Practicum Period. The project team regularly monitored the
trainings at the four locations to ensure that the lessons are delivered in accordance with the standards set by the project. During these periodic visits, the project staff gathered
International training
“I am so happy and very excited to be
selected for a training in India!” Soma Majedi
exclaimed when she broke the good news to
the program coordinators of USAID
Promote: Women in Government. In May,
this former intern will be going to India for a
12-day training on Strategic Human
Resources (HR) Management. Soma works as
HR Officer at the Ministry of Finance MoF, a
position she applied for in July 2016 when she
completed the women’s internship program.
“The internship program was instrumental in
my getting this job at MoF and the intensive
training prepared me for the high demands of
my work,” Soma added.
Soma Majedi
HR Officer, MoF
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 10
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
feedback from the interns on the delivery of the training and other logistical concerns,
and consulted trainers for any suggested improvements in the modules and methodology.
They also discussed with office mentors, supervisors and HR officers of the host
organizations to seek their recommendations on the improvement of training delivery and
program management. No substantive issues were noted during these monitoring visits
although the project team took note of the detailed third-party monitoring reports for
specific corrective measures.
Curriculum Revision. In anticipation of expanding internship enrollment to the provinces
like Kandahar where there are relatively few university graduates, the project worked on
revisions to the civil service training curriculum for young women who have only reached
Grades 12-14, the second-tier target group for USAID Promote: Women in Government.
The initially developed curriculum implemented for the earlier intern cohort groups is
intended for university graduates, which covers a comprehensive list of topics and many
technical areas. The revised curriculum continues to present a solid overview of the civil service modules but with certain modifications to better present to Grades 12-14 interns.
During this quarter, MoLSAMD reviewed and concurred with the revised curriculum.
1.1.2 Phased Expansion of the Internship Program in the Provinces
Expansion to Herat. In Herat, the project team met with provincial officials of
DoLSAMD and DoWA to formally introduce the USAID Promote: Women in
Government program and secure their support for the year-long implementation of the
program. The project team also conducted introductory meetings with senior officials of
the local Directorates of Public Health, Information and Culture, Urban Development and
Affairs, Communications and Information Technology, Education, and Energy and Water
to introduce the program and seek support. These provincial offices are potential hosts
for office practicum and employers once the interns graduate. The government officials
were pleased with the plans for capacity building of young women in the province and
offered their support.
The internship program was launched in Herat on February 4, 2017 at the Shah Amanullah
Khan-e-Ghazi Salon. The event was attended by top level officials from the province led
by Herat’s female Parliament Member together with provincial officials including the
Acting Provincial Governor, Directors of DoLSAMD, DoWA and other agencies, the
Deputy Mayor, Provincial Council Members, and the Head of IARCSC. Representatives
from Promote: Women in the Economy (WIE) Program, Afghan Independent Human
Rights Commission and civil society organizations also attended. DoLSAMD is hosting the
Herat group (Cohort Four) for the six-month civil service training.
Expansion to Balkh. The project team conducted meetings in Balkh to formally
introduce the program to provincial ministry directors. The team met with the Gender
Director of the Balkh Provincial Office who welcomed the program and promised to
support its implementation in the province. The director noted that this initiative is a big
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 11
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
boost to the province’s women
empowerment efforts and will help many
female university graduates who are
unable to secure good jobs because they
lack the required professional experience.
The project team likewise met with
representatives of the USAID Promote:
WIE, WLD and Women's Right Groups
and Coalitions (Musharikat) projects in
Balkh to establish relationships and
discuss future program collaboration with
them. The project team participated in
the first coalition meeting of Musharikat.
Introductory meetings with provincial and
directorate officials and representatives were also conducted, including meetings
with the heads of the Education
Directorate and civil service Commission. The two government agencies warmly
welcomed the project, saying they had been eagerly awaiting the implementation of the
internship program and were very pleased to learn that an intensive capacity building
training for the young women of Balkh would soon begin. The two agencies promised to
support the internship program through all its stages. The launching of the internship is
set for April 11 and the DoWA Directorate will provide the venue for the Balkh group
of 150 university graduates (Cohort Five).
Expansion to Kandahar. The project engaged a local subcontractor, Afghan Learning
and Development Organization (ALDO), to administer the internship program in this
southern province. Coordination and introductory meetings with provincial offices of line
ministries, including USAID implementing partner WLD, were undertaken by the project
to mobilize support throughout all phases of the internship program. In March, the project
began publicizing the internship to attract potential applicants and strongly urged women
who have completed Grades 12-14 (high school graduates and those who have taken
diploma or associate courses) to avail themselves of this opportunity. Due to several
factors, primarily cultural restrictions and lesser access to resources and educational
opportunities in Kandahar, there is a small pool of female university graduates in the
province, therefore, the project expanded the criteria to include high school graduates.
Posters were displayed in government ministries, private universities and WLD to reach
a big number of target audiences. The outreach efforts attracted more than 200
applications, from which 80 women will be selected for Cohort Six. The target launch
date for Kandahar is April 22, 2017. Trainings will be conducted at the ALDO office.
1.1.3 Identify, Recruit, and Select Interns
Cohorts Three, Four, Five and Six
The project prepared for the recruitment and selection of more than 900 interns
comprising Cohorts Three and Four that started during the current period and Cohorts
Young women from Balkh Province eagerly await
the start of the qualifying test for the internship
program.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 12
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
Five and Six that will commence in the coming quarter. A summary of the new training
groups is captured in Table 3 below.
Table 3. Recruitment of New Interns
Internship Group Location Start Date Target Interns
Cohort Three Kabul - Moraa January 28, 2017 540
Cohort Four Herat - DoLSAMD February 4, 2017 145
Cohort Five Balkh - DoWA April 11, 2017 150
Cohort Six Kandahar - ALDO April 22, 2017 80
Total 915
After receiving the applications, the project team verified the documents for
completeness, and supporting documents from qualified candidates were reviewed,
including school credentials, government identification, and parental permission as
needed. The intern candidates then take a qualifying examination and attend a panel
interview, composed of representatives from MoWA, MoLSAMD and civil society, as well
as project staff.
1.1.4: Identify, Recruit, and Select Mentors
In the previous quarter, the project team
identified and trained 17 qualified mentors
for Cohort One interns who began their
three-month practicum in December
2016. One mentor is assigned to five to
seven interns and guides them through
their tasks, demonstrating work processes
and office protocols. Mentors also ensure
that the interns are meaningfully engaged
and receive experience to substantive
office work, not just routine clerical tasks.
The mentors were selected based on pre-
developed criteria and in close consultation
with the HR directors from the
government partners. An initial capacity
building session and a more in-depth
training were conducted by the project team to develop mentoring skills and a mentorship
plan. The mentor’s training course focuses on key concepts such as: introduction to the
concept of mentoring; the Goal, Reality, Options and Will (GROW) model; mentoring
skills; four stages in mentoring relationship; responsibilities of mentors and interns; and
characteristics of a successful mentor. The mentors were drawn from 13 ministries and
three independent agencies: MoLSAMD, MoIC, MRRD, MCIT, MoBTA, MoHE, MoPW,
Staff members from GIRoA ministries and
independent agencies who were designated
mentors attend a training on key skills of
mentoring.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 13
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
MoMP, MoCI, MoF, MoD, MAIL, MUDH, IARCSC, IDLG and CEO Office. The training
participants gave high marks, with 89 percent of them rating the training as excellent, 11
percent as very good, and one percent as good.
Preparations for the next round of mentors will again begin in the next reporting period
in anticipation of Cohort Two interns moving into office practicum in July.
1.1.5 Continuation Materials
No activities were undertaken during this the quarter.
PIR 1.2 INTERNS TRAINED IN WORK AND LIFE SKILLS
At the start of the reporting period, the interns attended a training to help them develop
effective and professional resumes. The training provided helpful tips and techniques on writing a good curriculum vitae (CV) and a cover letter. Topics included: CV format,
techniques to present skills, abilities and experience, and how to prepare an appealing
cover letter. As a part of the project’s plan to create a pool of intern CVs to share with
government ministries, the participants were asked to prepare their CVs and share it with
the project team, who provided further feedback to improve the CVs. The project team
will continue to collect CVs from future intern cohorts to update the CV bank and share
them with GIRoA ministries and independent agencies for employment opportunities. The
project team likewise Participant feedback was very positive on the training, and one of
the interns stated: “the training was very useful as we learned a lot of new things about
CV writing, the importance of social media and networking.” Interns also recommended
that the project continue to offer similar training sessions to all interns on a regular basis.
1.2.1 Design and launch training and capacity building program
On January 30 and 31, 2017, the project team conducted the second round of ToT
sessions on Professionalism in the Workplace for Gender Directors of five GIRoA
ministries and seven agencies. The training aimed to promote excellence in professional
behavior throughout government agencies. The activity was conducted at MoWA and the
Technical and Policy Deputy Minister officially opened the training. The session employed
participatory methods, brainstorming sessions, practical job examples, and group work to
enable participants to apply theoretical principles and standards to real-life situations.
Nineteen ministry officers attended the training, representing MoBTA, MoTCA, MUDH,
MoD, the Supreme Court, the Office of Atomic Energy (OAE), Kabul Municipality, CEO,
Civil Society Organization (CSO), Afghan Geodesy and Cartography (AGC), Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA), and MoWA. Four project interns who are currently engaged in their
three-month practicum at MOWA also attended the training. The feedback on the training
was very positive. The MoTCA Gender Director said: “The training contents were really
useful and interesting. I will plan to deliver this training for ministry employees, but would
like to suggest that USAID Promote: Women in Government schedule this training for
one day specifically for our ministry staff.”
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 14
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
1.2.2 Upgrade Career Development Center
No activities during the reporting period.
PIR 1.3: NUMBER OF INTERNS HIRED FOR FULL TIME POSITIONS IN
GOVERNMENT INCREASED
1.3.1 Internship Program Linked to Job Placement
Pilot Interns Employment Status. As reported in a previous section (1.1.1 Internship
Program), the last of the 16 interns belonging to the Pilot Cohort accepted an
employment offer during the quarter. However, three interns with temporary work
appointments from AOP had completed their three-month contract in March. The project
team will continue to assist them in finding permanent full time civil service appointments.
Cohort One. As the 12-month training for Cohort One came to a successful conclusion
in March, the project team conducted multiple coordination meetings with government
ministries and independent agencies to usher preferential employment of the project’s
job-ready intern graduates. The primary target employers were the offices where the
interns served as on-the-job trainees and so the project team met with the HR Directors
and Gender Unit heads of these offices on multiple occasions. In these meetings, the
mentors for the interns participated in the discussions and vouched for the quality of
work that the trainees had exhibited during their three-month practicum.
During the Networking Event in March, MoLSAMD officials presented a work certificate
to the Pilot and Cohort One interns. The certificates represent the equivalent of one
year of professional experience when the interns apply for fulltime government
positions. In addition, MoLSAMD committed to provide the women with endorsement
letters to prospective government employers, which will vouch for their qualifications
and skills gained during the intensive year-long training. The ministry officials expressed
appreciation of the internship program. The project mentor at MoMP said that “the
ministry team is surprised at the capacity of the four interns engaged in the MoMP”. She
explained that within 15 days of their work at the Policy and Planning Directorate, the
four interns were able to draft a policy. The HR directors of MoMP and MoCI expressed
their commitment to share job vacancies with the project team, support interns in their
job application process, and ensure that interns are shortlisted for the positions.
Meetings were conducted with top officials, HR Directors, Planning Officers and Gender
Unit Heads of different government entities, specifically MoMP, MoCI, MUDH, MoBTA,
MoE, MoD, MoF and MoEW to follow through on prior recruitment commitments and
find out new job openings in their organizations. The HR Director of MoE committed to
hire 20 interns in his department. The project team also initiated conversations with the
Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MRR), Afghanistan Independent Land Authority
(AILA), and Government Media and Information Center (GMIC) to introduce to them
the internship program as a veritable pool of job-ready employees. The Deputy Minister
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 15
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
of Refugees and Repatriations offered her support to the project’s job placement efforts
and suggested that the project conduct professional development training programs for
current female staff of the ministry. Even though nearly 30 percent of the MRR staff are
female, women are not in decision making roles, except for the Gender Director and
Deputy Minister.
As previously mentioned, three Cohort One interns have accepted job offers from
MUDH and MoBTA in March. In efforts to fast track the employment of the new
graduates, the project team sends job opportunities to the group through email as they
become available. The team also encourages the interns to employ online tools in their
job search, become active within their own networks of likely job leads and utilize relevant
social media. The interns then created a group page on Facebook where they update each
other with job opening information, share interview tips and offer mutual encouragement.
Other Cohort One interns post relevant emails coming from the project for the benefit
of those who do not have regular access to email.
1.3.2 Establish and Launch Database for Alumni Network
In January, the project team developed an alumni plan that includes three phases:
preliminary activities, follow-up employment and professional development. First, the
project team will update intern status and their areas of professional interest in a
comprehensive Internship Management Information System (IMIS) database. The team will
continue to liaise with relevant government officials to secure buy in and increase political
will to facilitate alumni entry into fulltime, permanent positions in the government. Alumni
lists will be shared with partner ministries and independent agencies, while vacant civil
service positions will be shared with the alumni group. In phase two, the project team
will follow up on the alumni recruitment process with GIRoA ministries and independent
agencies and collect employment recruitment documents for the interns. Throughout the
remainder of the project, USAID Promote: Women in Government will continue to
organize networking events, knowledge management platforms, trainings to teach interns
how to draft effective CV and cover letters, interview skills and self-confidence and
sponsor regular networking events for interns and government officials to increase
awareness about prospective civil service career opportunities.
After finalizing the alumni plan and gathering all information needed for an alumni database, the project team conducted a meeting with Rahman Safi International (RSI) Consulting to
discuss the development of the IMIS database. The project team explained the timeframe
and requirements of the database during the meeting and RSI responded with a draft plan
for the project’s review and approval. The target completion date for creating the system
is July 2017. At the close out of the project, the database of interns will be turned over
to MoLSAMD, who will take over the implementation of the internship program.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 16
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
Networking Event. The
team continued liaising with
relevant government
officials to secure buy-in
and encourage them to
facilitate entry of graduate
interns into permanent
government positions. On
March 26, 2017, the project
conducted a second
quarterly Networking Event
to further foster
professional relationship
building between interns
and ministry officials, encourage job recruitment,
highlight successes and
lessons learned and share information about the project’s policy reform initiatives. A total
of 227 program participants (67 government officials and 160 interns) participated in the
event, during which the government representatives committed to recruit interns while
the HR Directors in attendance shared information about more than 100 job vacancies
to which interns can apply.
The second part of the Networking Event was the presentation of outcomes of the
previously conducted Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government. The
interns had the opportunity to participate in discussions with participating ministry officials
about important reform areas surrounding women working in the civil service. The
interns worked side by side with ministry officers to expound on the highlighted obstacles
and propose solutions. In the latter part of the event, the Senior Recruitment Specialist
of the IARCSC presented the government’s Capacity Building for Result (CBR) and non
CBR recruitment process. The presentation provided the interns with additional insights
as they prepare to apply for jobs in government. The event was capped with the
distribution of work certificates for the equivalent of one-year’s work experience to the
118 Pilot and Cohort One intern graduates.
Internship Program Unit. In March, the project hired a Program Manager for the newly
created Internship Program Unit under the Manpower and Planning Directorate of
MoLSAMD. The unit will support the USAID Promote: Women in Government project
in managing the placement of interns at different ministries and independent agencies at
the end of project life. The Program Manager is currently working from the project
headquarters but will eventually be embedded in MoLSAMD to liaise with other ministries.
Coordination with Promote Task Orders: In March, the project team held
coordination meetings with WLD and Musharikat to share concepts for the annual
workplan, discuss programming overlap, and identify coordination mechanisms. The project will meet with WIE to coordinate activities in April 2017 and will plan to continue
A Networking Event conducted on March 26th facilitated personal
interaction between interns and government officials, encourages
job recruitment and highlighted the successes of the internship
program.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 17
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
regional meetings to bring together the provincial USAID Promote program teams to
coordinate training activities. As part of the coordination efforts, the WLD recruitment
team conducted an awareness session for USAID Promote: Women in Government
interns in Kabul to educate them about the WLD internship program. The USAID
Promote: Women in Government Cohort Two interns will attend WLD training after
they complete their six-month civil service classroom training. These coordination
meetings with USAID Promote program partners will continue regularly throughout the
life of the project.
1.3.3 Provide Technical Assistance to the Women’s Civil Service Association
(WCSA)
No activities were undertaken during this quarter.
PIR 1.4: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN WHO WORK IN
GOVERNMENT ENHANCED
1.4.1 Train Mentors and Supervisors
The USAID Promote: Women in Government project delivered the mentorship training
package for the 17 new mentors from MAIL, MCIT, MoBTA, MoCI, MoD, MoF, MoHE,
MoIC, MoLSAMD, MoMP, MoPH, MoPW, MoTCA, MoWA, MRRD, MUDH and IARCSC.
The mentorship training series, which was conducted from January 15 through March 15,
2017, prepared the designated mentors and supervisors to provide in-office guidance to
Cohort One interns during their office practicum. The training package consists of four
modules: Introduction to Mentoring, Organizational Communications, Giving and
Receiving Feedback, and Professionalism in the Workplace.
In January, the 17 new mentors were provided training to enhance their skills and
knowledge to become effective mentors. They were joined by seven mentors from the
Pilot Cohort who took the modules on Introduction to Mentoring as a refresher course.
Four of the participants were males while the rest were females. In February, the new
mentors attended the two-day Communications and Feedback modules. Aside from
improving communication skills and how to give and receive feedback, these courses were
also aimed to build the capacity of civil servants holding Grade 3 positions and above to
become effective mentors. The third training, Professionalism in the Workplace, was
conducted on March 15th, wrapping up the mentorship training series. Eighteen mentors
(17 from the new group of mentors and one from the previous group) attended the two-
day training and received their certificates of completion. An evaluation was conducted at
the end of each training wherein a big majority of the participants rated the sessions as
excellent (89%, 81% and 85% in the three evaluations, respectively) and the rest rated it
as very good.
1.4.2 Connect to Scholarship Programs as Incentive for Mentors
No activities during the quarter.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 18
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
HOSPITABLE
ENVIRONMENT
FOR FEMALE STAFF
IN GOVERNMENT
ENCOURAGED
PIR 2.1: POLICIES THAT BENEFIT
WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT
IMPROVED AND IMPLEMENTED
2.1.1 Conduct Phase II of the Gender Analysis
During the reporting period, the project conducted Gender Analysis II focusing on the
provinces of Herat, Balkh, Kandahar and Nangarhar. The provincial-focused study started
in January and data gathering was completed in March. The study seeks to determine how
men and women relate to project activities; how local gender norms will shape project
design and implementation; and to identify opportunities for male engagement. The
findings will inform the project’s programming and implementing strategies for the regions.
Once the report is finalized, the project will translate the document and share it with
MoWA. This is the second Gender Analysis to be done by the project; the first was fielded
in Kabul in 2015.
2.1.2 Conduct Phase II of the GIRoA Partnership Assessment Report
Conducted concurrently with Gender Analysis, the GIRoA Partnership Assessment II
covers the provinces of Herat, Balkh, Kandahar and Nangarhar and is a follow through to
the earlier study that was conducted for Kabul. The assessment investigates the availability
of staff positions in subnational offices of the government, and the level of interest of these
offices to engage in partnership opportunities with USAID Promote: Women in
Government. This is an internal study and will be a key document to inform provincial
strategies. Collection of data, including desk research, was completed in March and a draft
report is expected to be submitted in April. Both studies (Gender Analysis and Partnership Assessment) are being conducted for the project by local partner EPD.
2.1.3 Initiate and Build Relationships with Relevant Partner Government Staff
Robust relationships with GIRoA ministries, independent agencies and implementing
partners are vital to the successful implementation of the project, and therefore the
USAID Promote: Women in Government project ensures that alliances are initiated and
maintained. Of primary interest to the project is strengthening continued support for
program goals, hosting internship training, and providing on-the-job training opportunities
and full time regular employment for interns. To solidify the shared objectives of
empowering women and pave the way for their implementation via a formal agreement,
PIR II QUARTERLY
HIGHLIGHTS
• 10 policy reform areas
identified during Conference on
Policy Reform for Women in
Government
• Facilitated signing of MoU
between USAID and MoWA
• Champion Strategy document
approved by USAID
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 19
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
the project will continue to pursue the
execution of MoUs with more than 20
government agencies. As of the end of the
reporting, MoUs have been signed
between USAID and MoLSAMD, MoIA,
IARCSC and MoWA. The last MoU was
signed in March 2017. The MoUs with
MoPH and MoHRA are in the final stages,
and the rest are in progress. Collaborative
activities continued throughout the
reporting period, as described in this
section.
From January through March 2017, the
team regularly conducted monitoring visits to interns at the practicum sites to ensure
that the program is proceeding as planned.
The visits also provided opportunity for
consultations with ministry officials.
On January 17, the team members
participated as topic discussants in the
Anti-Harassment conference organized by
the Afghan Parliament’s Wolesi Jirga and the
USAID-funded ALBA Project. The project
staff members discussed harassment of
women and children. The activity is of
special interest to the project because the
pending Anti-Harassment Regulation is a
key legal document which supports
women in the workplace. On January 24,
the project team met with the Minister of
MoLSAMD to update her on the upcoming
launches for additional internship cohorts
in Kabul, Herat and Balkh provinces and
the Conference on Policy Reform for
Women in Government conducted in
February. The team also explored opportunities for further collaboration with the
ministry, specifically as to how MoLSAMD might consolidate a listing of all Afghan
government job postings into one publicly accessible online site. The Minister appreciated
all the achievements and expressed her full support for the project.
During February 1 to 9, the project team conducted multiple briefing for the Conference
on Policy Reform for Women in Government for ministry Directors of their respective
Policy and Planning, HR and Gender Units to explain the activities and the objectives of the conference. On February 23rd, the project team met with the MoLSAMD Manpower
“The best and the brightest”
“A project that I’m supporting, which is a
long- term investment and has lasting impact,
is the USAID Promote: Women in
Government. Today’s event is an example of
their work of supporting hospitable
environment for women in government. One
year of investment is made on the interns and
they go through rigorous testing and
interview process – like going through
different security checkpoints – before they
come to you for jobs. Therefore, you [HR
Directors and head of departments] are
required and responsible to give priority to
Project inters in your vacant positions when
you see Promote: Women in Government
internship experience in their CV because
they are the best and the brightest, and the
most prepared applicants”.
Fawzia Koofi, Member of Parliament
Paraphrase of speech, Conference on Policy
Reform for Women in Government
February 12, 2017
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 20
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
Planning Director to discuss the progress on the establishment of the Internship Program
Unit (IPU), finalize intern work certificates and extend possible support to upgrade an
existing centralized website that holds all government vacancies together and link women
to job opportunities through the internet.
Prior meetings with MoWA to work out the details of an MoU came to fruition in March
with the signing of a memorandum between the ministry and USAID. The MoU will solidify
the ministry’s support for key USAID Promote: Women in Government program goals.
The execution of the MoU also paved the way for the project to utilize a MoWA training
venue in Balkh where Cohort Five will conduct the civil service training for six months.
The project also met with the Acting Minister of MoIC to gain his support for the
internship outreach, campaign, placement and recruitment in the key provincial hubs
where USAID Promote: Women in Government will offer internship training. The
meeting further served as an occasion to apprise the Acting Minister on the reform areas
identified during the Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government. The Minister was pleased with the progress of this initiative and instructed the officers of
MoIC’s Administration Youth Affairs to extend their full support to project activities.
In another meeting with MoWA, the project team briefed the Deputy Minister Technical
of the top reform areas coming out of the Conference on Policy Reform for Women in
Government that were relevant to the ministry. The team solicited feedback from the
Deputy Minister about concepts proposed in the project’s Year Three Annual Workplan.
The Deputy Minister was pleased with the conference outcomes and programming plans.
She also agreed to support the project by seeking a higher-level commitment from other
government officials and undertake an advocacy campaign with key decision makers. She
further committed to work closely with other government entities to encourage them to
own and implement the proposed reforms that fall within their sphere.
Before the end of the quarter, the project team participated in a meeting organized by
MoF to discuss GIRoA’s commitments during the Brussels Conference. The government
committed to increase women’s representation in government by two percent (almost
8,000 positions) in 2017 and 2018. The MoF Acting Deputy Minister for Policy chaired
the meeting and lauded the USAID Promote: Women in Government project’s efforts to
institute concrete activities and policy reforms and recommendations to increase
women’s representation in government. She promised to communicate some of these
reforms to Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, along with a proposal for a presidential
decree support for the identified strategies, such as implementing the quota for all
government agencies to have at least 30-percent women in their workforce and adopting
a positive discrimination strategy to increase women’s representation in the civil service.
2.1.4 Conduct Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 21
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
The project organized the Conference on
Policy Reform for Women in Government
on February 12-13, 2017 at the Kabul
Serena Hotel. The aim of the conference
was to identify reform areas that will
support hospitable working environments
for women in government. One hundred
and thirteen individuals participated in the
conference, including 66 key staff from 22
ministries and 10 independent agencies
serving as HR, Gender, and Policy and
Planning Directors, together with seven
participants from civil society
organizations. The event was recorded and
filmed by 28 media agencies. The key speakers in the event were the Deputy
Minister of Women’s Affairs; a female
Member of Parliament; USAID Promote:
Women in Government Chief of Party and Government Liaison Lead; and the Executive
Director of EPD. See Annex 1 for the list of participants.
The participants were divided into five groups to discuss previously chosen thematic areas
that include education, recruitment, policies, culture and insecure workplace. The top ten
reform areas emerging from the discussions are as follows:
1. Amendment of laws, regulations and procedures
2. Creating job portals and career development centers for women
3. Fulfillment of 30 percent quota to increase female representation in government
4. Empowering the gender units and providing additional professional development
and advocacy
5. Public awareness and behavior change campaigns
6. Increasing women’s role in leadership
7. Establishing a committee to oversee the recruitment process for women in
government
8. Training and development of women
9. Upgrading or installation of workplace enablers (e.g. health and wellness facilities,
separate toilet facilities for women, physical upgrades to safety and security
facilities)
10. Identifying positions for women in each ministry’s approved list of full time civil
service positions.
The conference participants expressed the need for strong political will to address these
obstacles, adding that a presidential regulation or decree will give teeth to the proposed
policies and achieve the desired percentage of women working in government agencies.
Other suggested reforms included:
• Government rejection of proposed ministry budgets which do not comply with
the quota.
Key officers from 22 ministries and 10
independent agencies participated in the
Conference on Policy Reform for Women in
Government conducted on February 12 and 13,
2017 to identify reform areas that will support
hospitable working environments for women in
government.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 22
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
• Establish a CV bank for female job seekers where all the HR departments can
easily access to find eligible female candidates.
• Establish a recruitment center exclusively for women at the Baghi Zanana
(women’s garden) in Kabul where female job seekers can access job information.
• Require all applicants to take a civil examination to avoid nepotism and corruption,
promote transparency, and decrease the chance of manipulation and interference
by people in power.
The identified reform areas will be considered for inclusion in the project’s policy reform
plan. In preparation for the conference, the project team held pre-conference meetings with ministry officials to explain the objectives of the conference and ensure their
participation.
In March, the project prepared a comprehensive report describing the top 10 policy
reform areas, recommendations and courses of actions to address the obstacles. The
findings were presented during a Networking Event conducted on March 26th. During
that event, the participants came up with further recommendations and recommended
which government entities might spearhead follow up activities. In addition to the above,
the project team conducted individual briefings to GIRoA partners, as also mentioned in
the preceding section (2.1.3 Initiate and Build Relationships with Relevant Partner
Government Staff).
2.1.5 Solicit, Evaluate, and Select Expressions of Interest from Government
Entities Interested in Policy Reforms that Benefit Women in the Workplace
The Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government included a specialized
workshop on Proposal Writing and Expressions of Interest to train government staff to
solicit support from GIRoA and donors interested in supporting policy reforms aimed at
eliminating harassment and discrimination against women in the workplace. A total of 46
participants from 35 ministries and independent agencies took part in the proposal writing
workshop, which was conducted on the second day of the conference. Several
representatives from the civil society organizations also participated.
2.1.6 Support IARCSC in Developing Implementation Guidelines for the Anti-
Harassment Regulation
In January, the project facilitated a two-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on Professionalism
in the Workplace for Gender Unit Directors in various GIRoA ministries. The training
aimed to promote excellence in professional behavior throughout government agencies.
This course earned praise from many participants of the ToT and other government
agencies who have previously attended, saying that the training is a “must” in their agencies
and appropriate not just for new hires as orientation material but also for current employees as refresher course. The training has three parts: Professionalism in the
Workplace, Civil Service Code, and Anti-Harassment in the Workplace. Following
repeated requests from government officials to continue this training in their own
agencies, the project team subsequently proposed development of an E-Learning video in
its Year Three Implementation Plan. Like the ToT, the video would cover all three topics.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 23
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
By doing so, the video could be spread to ministries and their provincial offices that may
want to use the material. The E-Learning video would be a visual tool for government
employees available for use as part of the government’s regular orientation package for
new hires and may be easily delivered by the agencies’ own staff members.
PIR 2.2: OBSTACLES IN THE WORKPLACE FOR WOMEN IN
GOVERNMENT IDENTIFIED AND SOLUTIONS RECOMMENDED
2.2.1 Recommend Solutions to Address Women’s Obstacles (policy, cultural,
and infrastructure) in the Workplace
The Conference on Policy Reform for Women in Government that was conducted in
February built upon the findings of the previously published Workplace Obstacles Analysis
and Recommendation Report. The Report was a formative research conducted in 2016
by the project with MoWA that analyzed the barriers that limit women from working
within the government, such as policy, regulations, culture, and adequate infrastructure. The conference spelled out the policies and reforms that are needed to benefit women
in government. As mentioned in preceding sections of this report, the conference
discussed the obstacles women face in the work place and identify policy reforms to
increase women's participation in government institutions and came up with top ten
reform areas, of which the project has disseminated to partner ministries in various
occasions. The project will take further steps to disseminate the results of the conference
to all concerned government ministries and agencies.
To support these activities, the project is recruiting a short-term consultant with
expertise in law and regulatory reform. The consultant will draft amendment provisions
for the Civil Service Law and amendments to the merit-based appointment procedures,
as well as a new proposal for a positive discrimination government hiring policy.
2.2.2 Train Project Interns to Support Implementation of the
Recommendations from the GIRoA Partnership Assessment Report and the
Workplace Obstacles: Analysis and Recommendations Report
From January 16 -18, 2017, the project team conducted a three-day training for 352
Cohort Two interns to support implementation of the recommendations from the
Workplace Obstacles: Analysis and Recommendations Report. The objective of the
training was to increase the interns’ awareness about barriers in the government
workplace and to learn how to report incidents of harassment. In addition, a research
methodology training was conducted in March for the same group to equip them with
basic research and reporting skills. The research training was likewise one of the final
lessons in the civil service module and will be needed by the interns when they reach the
office practicum phase wherein one of the requirements is a research paper.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 24
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
LOCAL STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT
FOR WOMEN IN CIVIL SERVICE
INCREASED
PIR 3.1: PLAN TO COMMUNICATE WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY
INFLUENCE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE OPINIONS ABOUT WOMEN IN
GOVERNMENT DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED
3.1.1 Hold Stakeholder Workshop
The Stakeholder Workshop was designed to
bring together project stakeholders to develop
key messages for outreach and advocacy
campaigns in addition to identifying a Content
Advisory Group (CAG). Following the start-up
of the project, a series of separate consultations
with stakeholders was conducted during which
stakeholders provided feedback on messaging
needed for further outreach and advocacy. A
CAG was already identified and formed as the
radio series was scheduled to begin. As a result,
the Stakeholder Workshop was put on hold
since the purpose of the workshop was already
in place. Resources for the Stakeholder
Workshop were diverted to other outreach activities.
3.1.2 Establish and Convene a Content Advisory Group
The CAG is comprised of government representatives from the Supreme Court, MoHE,
the Afghanistan Independent Bar Association, United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), media representatives from the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) and Radio
Azadi, and project partner Equal Access. The group meets to review the content of the
project’s weekly radio drama series, One Village, A Thousand Voices (OVATV), to ensure it
aligns with Islamic law and other national laws. During the months of January and February,
the group reviewed and finalized the scripts of the ongoing weekly OVATV radio program.
3.1.3 Create Interactive Feedback Loop
The project created an interactive feedback loop to receive constant feedback on
messaging via short message service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), social
media, letters and in-person discussions. This feedback was considered during the design,
production and implementation of various communication tools. During the months of
January and February, interaction happened with the audience of OVATV weekly radio
series in two ways. First, during each Friday segment, the program’s moderator asked
PIR III QUARTERLY
HIGHLIGHTS
• Aired eight episodes of One
Village, A Thousand Voices radio
program
• Conducted roundtable
discussions, public forums and
university workshops in the
provincial hubs of Herat and
Balkh
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 25
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
questions to guest speakers. The audience also called and asked questions to the guest
speaker or provided their points of view during the live discussion. Second, a question
was posed to the audience at the end of each drama and listeners responded through
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) calls. IVR is a mobile technology that allows callers to
interact with an automated system via voice and numeric keypad. The most relevant
questions asked during the broadcasts in January and February related to gender
discrimination and women’s role in the police.
PIR 3.2: CHAMPIONS FOR WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT IDENTIFIED AND
EMPOWERED
3.2.1 Develop and Implement Champion Strategy
On January 26, 2017, USAID approved the project’s Champion Strategy. This initiative
aims to identify and empower male and female champions in government and increase
their visibility as models for positive behavior change by recognizing and rewarding
individuals for their efforts to strengthen a positive image of reformers in support of women in government. Now that the Champion Strategy is approved, the project will
work to identify potential partners to facilitate implementation in the coming year.
3.2.2 Identify, Empower and Reward Champions
After the finalization of the Champion Strategy, the project team will identify deputy
ministers and other senior level government staff who support women’s rights and
encourage them to set clear expectations for their staff on how to treat women in the
workplace.
3.2.3 Promote Male Champions
No activities were undertaken this quarter. This activity is linked to 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 above.
PIR 3.3: INNOVATIVE MEDIA CAMPAIGNS TO ENCOURAGE BEHAVIOR
CHANGE DESIGNED AND SUPPORTED
3.3.1 Identify Local Media Partners to Deliver Messaging
In January, project partner Equal Access selected Asia TV, Aser TV, Taraqi, Elah TV and
Ariana Herat TV to broadcast the public forum and the roundtable discussion both
conducted in Herat on December 2016 and January 2017, respectively. The outreach
events were broadcasted in February. For the outreach events in Balkh province that
occurred in February, Equal Access chose Arezo TV to produce the public forum and
roundtable discussion. The selection and coordination with the stations that will
subsequently air these two film productions was being finalized as of the end of the
quarter. In the first two months of this reporting period, the project continued to work
with national broadcaster Radio Azadi to air the weekly radio series, One Village, A
Thousand Voices.
3.3.2 Develop and Implement a Multimedia Campaign
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 26
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
Please see 3.3.1 and 3.3.4.
3.3.3 Broadcast Nationwide Radio and TV PSAs
Herat Public Forum Broadcast
In January, local TV stations in Herat
province started broadcasting radio
promotions for the Herat public forum,
previously conducted in December 2016.
The purpose of this promotion was to give
brief information, timing and dates of the
broadcast. TV stations Asia, Taraqi, Ariana,
Aser and Eslah aired the public forum on
the first week of February, which were
preceded by seven days of promotional
announcements by each station.
3.3.4 Weekly Interactive Radio Series
Production and broadcast of the weekly
radio series, One Village, A Thousand Voices
(OVTAV) continued in January and
February. OVATV is a popular radio drama series that aims to raise the awareness and
change the perspectives of conservative rural communities to support women working
outside the home and to change negative perceptions regarding women working in
government. Four episodes were prepared and aired across Afghanistan through Radio
Azadi for each month of January and February.
3.3.5 Conduct Workshops and Public Forum
Public Forum
Public Forum in Balkh. The project conducted a public forum in Balkh province on
January 15, 2017. The forum aimed to effect behavior change by addressing key socio-
cultural drivers of persistent gender inequality and existing norms that preclude women
from working in government. Before the actual forum, a full day training was conducted
for 17 people comprised of religious scholars, officials from the Directorate of Haj and
Religious Affairs (DoHRA) and DoWA, academics, civil society activists and local religious
leaders. Five of the participants were selected as panelists. The training focused on forum
guidelines such as answering media questions efficiently, keeping the discussions aligned
with the topic and answering questions responsively.
The forum highlighted the rights of women as important topics in Islam and how most of
religious scholars agree with the need to uphold these rights. Discussions revolved on
three major topics: factors which have precluded women from work in the government;
the role of religious leaders and mullahs in raising awareness and changing negative
perceptions; and finding solutions to challenges that women face. During the discussions,
the panelists agreed that women have the right to work and that society needs the
Actors record an episode of the radio drama
series One Village, A Thousand Voices at Radio
Azadi.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 27
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
participation of women in all facets of community life. The group also suggested that more
awareness raising activities targeted at scholars and local religious leaders be conducted
through different communication channels such as TV, radio, Friday sermons and public
forums. The forum panelist and participants declared that the forum was the best public
discussion they have attended in Balkh because divergent ideas were aired, the panelists
were cordial and stated their opinions respectfully and the audience was given time to
participate.
The public forum was attended by 107 participants, including five panel members and 102
audience members (66 men and 46 women). The participants were comprised of civil
society activists, local religious scholars, academics, provincial directorate officials, and
university students. The public forum will be broadcasted in April.
Roundtable Discussion
Roundtable Discussion in Herat. USAID Promote: Women in Government sponsored a roundtable discussion conducted by its partner, Equal Access, on January 4, 2017 in
Herat to discuss cultural obstacles to women working, street and workplace harassment,
the perspective of Islam about women’s occupations outside the home and the role of
men in promoting safer workplaces for women. The roundtable was held at Asia TV and
was filmed for later broadcast (see 3.3.3 above). The discussion included four panelists:
representatives from the local Haj and Religious Directorate, the Herat Provincial
Council, civil society and academia. Four topics were discussed: (1) what Islam says about
women’s right to work; (2) challenges faced by women working in the government; (3)
safety of women outside the home; and (4) creating a safe working environment for
women. The panelists discussed the questions from the viewpoint of their professions or
personal opinions but after the roundtable, they all agreed that women’s right to work is
a basic right and no one should prevent them from holding a job outside the home, unless
their safety and security are compromised. The group offered the following suggestions:
create safe and secure working environments for women, raise the general public’s
awareness of women’s right to work through the media, enjoin religious leaders to
actively participate in changing negative public perceptions and continue to promote
women’s role in government.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 28
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
Roundtable Discussion in Balkh. On February 4, 2017, the project sponsored a
roundtable discussion in Balkh province through its partner, Equal Access. The event was
hosted at the Arezo TV studio. The purpose of the discussion was to bring about positive
behavior change towards women working outside the home and in government, and to
create interest and support for the USAID Promote: Women in Government program
objectives. Four panelists participated in
the roundtable discussion, including a
member of Ulema Council, a religious
scholar, a sharia law faculty lecturer and an
official from the Afghanistan Independent
Human Rights Commission. The main
topic of discussion was the Islamic right of
women to work outside the home and
their role in government and in the
development of the country. Exploring opinions regarding these issues, three
specific items were discussed: 1) challenges
that prevent women from working; 2) the
role of scholars in changing negative
perceptions of people regarding the Islamic right of women to work; and 3) solutions for
problems women face when working outside their homes. The discussion was recorded
on video and will be subsequently aired in local TV stations.
Broadcast of Video
Herat Public Forum and Roundtable Discussion. The public forum in Herat, which was
conducted on December 10, 2016 was broadcasted in four TV stations. The goal of the
public forum was to create awareness of the rights of women to work outside the home
and in the government sector and to create positive behavior change among key
influencers and opinion leaders in the community. In February, the project team scheduled
the Herat roundtable discussion broadcast with five sub-national TV stations (Asia TV,
Aser TV, Ariana Herat TV, Eslah TV and Taraqi TV) starting on February 16 through
February 26, 2017. Before the actual broadcast, each TV channel aired a promotional spot
to describe the forum and provide information on the dates and timings of airing. The
promo broadcast started on February 14, 2017 and continued until February 26, 2017.
Broadcast of Balkh Public Forum and Roundtable Discussion. In March the project
team worked with local TV stations to schedule the broadcast of two outreach events
in Balkh, a public forum conducted on January 15, 2017 and a roundtable discussion held
on February 4, 2017. The telecasts are planned for April and May 2017, respectively.
University Workshop
Herat. The project conducted a university workshop for Herat University students on
December 31, 2016 and January 1, 2017. The workshop offered information and training
to students on the rights of women to work, obstacles to women’s progress in the
workplace, the current Anti-Harassment Regulation and information about how to pursue
The roundtable discussion in Balkh Province was
recorded for future airing in local TV stations.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 29
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
employment opportunities within the government. The participants included 66 (44
women and 22 men) on the first day and 94 participants (63 women and 31 men) on the
second day. Major discussions during the workshop included the responsibility of the
government to provide hospitable working environment for women; the government
directive requiring all GIRoA entities have at least 30 percent women in their workforce;
and application procedures for government jobs, salary grades and eligibility criteria.
Overall, the activity was successful, based on the pre- and post-tests and from verbal
feedback from participants. In the pre-test, 95 percent of the attendees had no knowledge
about government hiring procedures and after the workshop, all participants have
increased their level of knowledge with 53 percent of them saying their knowledge has
increased significantly. The students were also asked whether they knew how to prepare
a CV and only 35 percent of them answered in the affirmative. Following the workshop,
89 percent of the participants reported that they learned CV drafting skills, 80 percent
reported an increase in job interview skills, and 76 percent learned about networking. At
the beginning of the workshop, 91 percent of the students were not aware of the Anti-Harassment Regulation, and after the workshop, almost all (99%) have acquired awareness
of this regulation.
Balkh. In Balkh, a university workshop like the above was conducted on January 30 and
31, 2017. The event was attended by 80 students on the first day (31 women and 49 men)
and 74 students on the second day (57 women and 17 men). Before the workshop, 95
percent of the participants said they have not heard of the Anti-Harassment Regulation;
after the workshop 98 percent said they now know about this important statute. On their
knowledge of CV preparation, 54 percent said they did not know how to prepare one
and after attending the workshop all of them became knowledgeable on preparing a CV.
Furthermore, 91 percent said they have improved their CV writing skills, 88 percent said
they improved their interviewing skills, and 81 percent said they learned about
networking.
3.3.6 Conduct Media Trainings
As part of the public forum conducted in Balkh in January, the project conducted a training
for 17 of the forum participants and the four panelists a day before the forum was
conducted. The training was conducted to provide tips and suggestion on answering the
media, asking questions that relate directly to the topics being discussed, and keeping
answers short and direct to the point. (See 3.3.5). A similar orientation training was also
conducted for the Herat public forum and was reported in the December 2016 monthly
report.
PIR 3.4: CAMPAIGN TO RECRUIT INTERNS DEVELOPED AND
IMPLEMENTED
3.4.1 Internship Recruitment Campaign
Prior to this reporting period, the project gathered a large pool of applicants for the
internship programs that were to open in Kabul and Herat in January and February,
respectively, and for the program that was opening in Balkh in April. As a result, the
project paused further recruitment campaign activities for the above provinces. The
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 30
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
project team also conducted an internship recruitment campaign in Kandahar to attract
qualified students for Cohort Six, which will be comprised of 80 interns. The campaign
made use of flyers in Pashto to attract applicants – both university graduates and those
who have completed Grades 12-14 – and were distributed at government institutions,
universities, and DoWA and WLD offices. In particular, USAID Promote: Women in
Government worked in collaboration with WLD to recruit graduates from their
Kandahar-based leadership training program to enroll in the project’s new internship
program in that province. The outreach resulted in more than 200 applications for
Kandahar, from which 129 were shortlisted. The internship program in Kandahar will
commence on April 22, 2017.
3.4.2 Identify Key Influencers and Messaging
Great care was exerted in selecting the speakers and panel discussants during the public
forum and roundtable discussions conducted during this reporting period. The individuals
were recognized authorities in their own field, well respected in the local communities, and deemed as gatekeepers and key influencers. For the three outreach events conducted
this period, the project invited government officials, religious leaders, professors and
students, and civil society representatives as members of the panel. Please refer to
preceding relevant sections for the specific composition of the panels.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
(M&E) ACTIVITIES
Focus Group Discussion (FGD)
During the reporting period, USAID Promote: Women in Government conducted an
FGD in Kabul, Herat, and Balkh to help assess the impact of the weekly interactive radio
series OVATV on public awareness and how it has influenced social norms. The FGD was
conducted by partner, Dynamic Vision, and included participation by 60 individuals, 20
from each of three regional hubs: Kabul, Herat and Balkh. Participants included local
representatives from government ministries and agencies; provincial councils; political,
religious and community leaders; as well as university professors and students. The major
findings of the study are as follows:
• Three-quarters of the participants believe that broadcasts of radio dramas such
as OVATV are an effective tool to support women’s participation in government.
• A significant majority (80%) believe that radio dramas and programs are effective
tools to raise the awareness of women in rural areas especially about their roles
and rights in community and government.
• Almost all (93%) of the participants believe that women are a part of
government.
• Almost three-quarters of the participants (74%) believe that radio dramas and
programs can help to change people’s behavior related to harassment of women.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 31
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
• A significant majority (87%) of the FGD participants think that the working
environment in their community is not favorable for women. More than one half
(64%) said that women’s rights have not improved in Afghanistan.
• Nearly eight out of ten participants (79%) said that the OVATV radio program
should be continued; more than one half (59%) said the program is effective.
The results of the study will feed into the project’s continued outreach programming
and will be factored into the determination of radio program content.
Measuring Progress Towards Program Indicators
Four pre- and post-tests were conducted during the period to measure the progress of
certain program indicators. The results of the studies will be reported in the Year 3
Annual report.
• Pre- and post-test for the heads of Gender Units in government ministries for
Indicator 3.3.1. (Proportion of target population reporting increased agreement with the
concept that males and female should have equal access to social, economic, and political
opportunities). February.
• Pre-test for more than 500 interns for Indicator 1.1.1. (Proportion of female
beneficiaries who report increased self-efficacy at the conclusion of U.S. government
supported training/ programing) and indicator 3.3.1. (Proportion of target population
reporting increased agreement with the concept that males and female should have equal
access to social, economic, and political opportunities). February.
Post-test survey involving 16 mentors for Indicator 1.4.2. (Number of mentors who
participated in professional development growth planning for their interns at the
conclusion of mentor training). March.
• Post-test survey of 102 interns from Cohort One for Indicator 1.1.1 (Proportion of
female beneficiaries who report increased self-efficacy at the conclusion of U.S.
government supported training/ programming) and Indicator 3.3.1 (Proportion of target
population reporting increased agreement with the concept that males and females
should have equal access to social, economic, and political opportunities). March.
Biometric System
In March, the project team met with RSI Consultancy to discuss the finger-print tracking
system for baseline and end-line survey for USAID Promote: Women in Government
beneficiaries. The biometric system is being implemented by all Promote Task Orders.
This tool eliminates duplication of monitoring data as it uses a unique ID for each program
beneficiary. The project team reviewed the baseline questions and offered further
suggestions and additions. The team likewise briefed the interns about the biometric
system in anticipation of future outreach by RSI to verify their personal details before they
are entered the system.
Monitoring Plan
The USAID Promote: Women in Government project team drafted the Year 3 Activity
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (AMEP) and submitted the same to USAID during March.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 32
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
PLANNED ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT
REPORTING PERIOD
Project Result 1: Women’s Entry into Decision-Making Roles in Government Service
Facilitated
• Continue the civil service training for more than 1,000 interns from Cohort Two
(MoLSAMD, Kabul), Cohort Three (Moraa, Kabul) and Cohort 4 (DoLSAMD,
Herat).
• Conduct written tests and interviews of 80 eligible candidates for Cohort Six in
Kandahar
• Conduct interviews for internship applicants for Cohort Seven (MoLSAMD,
Kabul).
• Launch internship program in Balkh and Kandahar.
• Participate in USAID-sponsored Women’s Empowerment Fair in Kabul
•
• Continue collaboration with government agencies to gather vacant positions in
their approved list of available civil service job vacancies; promote the employment
of graduate interns by these agencies.
Project Result 2: Hospitable Environment for Female Staff in Government
Encouraged
• Deliver Workplace Obstacle: Analysis and Recommendation training for Cohort
Three interns.
• Review and finalize Phase II of the GIRoA Gender Analysis and Partnership
Assessment Report.
• Meet with MoWA and MoLSAMD authorities to discuss the policy reform and
recommendations.
• Finalize the MoU documents with ministries, especially MoPH, MoHRA and MoE.
Project Result 3: Local Stakeholder Support for Women in Civil Service Increased
• Prepare for the university workshop in Nangarhar.
• Broadcast the public forum and roundtable discussions in Balkh Local TV.
Monitoring & Evaluation Goal 1: A critical mass of women enter the Afghan social
and economic mainstream and influence decision-making
• Conduct pre-test survey for Indicator 1.2.2. (Percentage of target population that
views Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as less acceptable after participating in or being
exposed to USG programming.
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 33
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
• Data entry and analysis of data for Indicator 1.4.2. (Number of mentors who
participated in professional development growth planning for their interns at the
conclusion of mentor training).
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 34
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
ANNEX
Annex 1. Participants of the Conference on Policy Reform for Women in
Government
1. Ministry of Education
2. Ministry of Information and Culture
3. Ministry of Finance
4. Ministry of Interior Affairs
5. Ministry of Municipalities
6. Ministry of Women Affairs
7. Ministry of Justice
8. Ministry of Economy
9. Ministry of Religious Affairs and Hajj
10. Ministry of Communication and Technology
11. Ministry of Defense
12. Ministry of Mines and Petroleum
13. Ministry of Transport
14. Ministry of Public Works
15. Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled
16. Ministry of Higher Education
17. Ministry of Agriculture
18. Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development
19. Ministry of Energy and Water 20. Ministry of Public Health
21. Ministry of Urban Development Affairs & Housing
22. Ministry of Counter Narcotics
23. Administrative Office of the President
24. Supreme Court of Afghanistan
25. Attorney General Office
26. Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority
27. Afghanistan Independent Land Authority
28. Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission
29. Independent Directorate of Local Governance
30. Central Statistics Organization
31. Independent Administrative reforms and civil service Commission
32. Independent General Directorate of Kuchi's
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 35
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
Annex 2 – Success Stories
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 36
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
USAID PROMOTE: WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT | 37
SECOND QUARTERLY REPORT- 2017
U.S. Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20523
Tel.: (202) 712-0000
Fax: (202) 216-3524
www.usaid.gov