Needs and challenges toward women's empowerment in Afghanistan: a gendered perspectives
Student name: Ms Gulshan Mosleh Safi
Guide: Dr Papiya Guha Mazumdar
Year of completion: 2015
Host Organisation: Ministry of Women Affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Shirullah Stanakzai
Abstract: Women‟s empowerment is a critical and sensitive issue in majority of developing countries. In the meantime there will be no advancement from the grassroots to the top if women are kept marginalized. Women in Afghanistan are the proportion of the population who suffer time and again for a variety of reasons. Fortunately after formation of new Afghan government the development of women as a part of human resource development declared in ANDS and NPP. Although women development and upgrading their social status in the Afghan restricted society needs more powerful strategies, plans and policies. Meanwhile the need for institutional framework was emerged. Establishment of Ministry of Women Affairs is a positive response to fill the gap and hence adoption of „NAPWA‟ to boosted the process of identifying core problems, challenges and needs. NAPWA, as stated in NPP adopt certain measures to improve the situation of women mainly the areas of security, legal protection and human rights, leadership and political participation, economy, health and education. The dynamic of positive changes can occurs when law rule the society. The prerequisite conditions for rule of law are stable peace, political, cultural and social security. In case of Afghanistan; situation is round other way. Endless war, political instability, harmful cultural practices, broken economy, environmental hazards and social misbehavior all rooted in women disempowerment. The objectives of this research is to assess the needs for women‟s empowerment and on other side to inspect the challenges that prevent women not to reach their optimal level of satisfaction, and to make decision for themselves, their community and their world. By collecting 103 structure questionnaires, conducting 10 interviews and one focus group alongside with case studies; this has been found the main challenges to the women empowerment are lack of understanding of rights, ideological concerns, and wrong cultural practices on the other side of the coin the needs for women empowerment are social justice and women‟ self-actualization.
Key words: ANDS, NPP, NAPWA, women‟s empowerment, and social challenges
