From the 11th to 13th May 2015, EPD conducted a national conference, supported by The Berghof Foundation. The aim was to discuss the status of women in the peace process with the National Unity Government, linking subnational issues with national policies, with special consideration to women’s experiences and objectives. The conference culminated in the release of a statement; a full roadmap report will follow in the coming weeks. Read More…

EPD is excited and proud to publish its Annual Report 2014, which serves to inform our donors, stakeholders, beneficiaries and the general public on the progress made in our work. In 2014, EPD grew in every sense, making the transition from a relatively new organization founded in 2010 to a well-established leader in civil society. We are now implementing programs all across Afghanistan, with provincial networks established in 9 provinces. Read More…

EPD’s launch of the Afghanistan Gender Equality Report Card in Kabul on March 12th comes at a critical time as Afghanistan enters the Transformation Decade. As the government increases their on-budget financing, it is critical to revisit the thousands of commitments that have been made to women and gender equality. This research assesses both progress and shortcomings, from the perspectives of 154 Afghan women across five provinces. Read More…

While the government of Afghanistan is in transition, EPD launched a critical report on the 28th of January at the Park Star Hotel in Kabul on the budget-service delivery nexus, interrogating the linkages between the national budget process and service delivery. The report argues that an increase of discretionary authority in the national budget, and effective accountability mechanisms, could potentially restore the public’s faith in the government. Read More…

In order to improve gender-sensitive policy-making in Afghanistan, EPD conducted a 4-day training in Kabul for 24 representatives of six pilot ministries (MoE, MoPH, MoHE, MAIL, MRRD and MoWA) between 29 December and 01 January. The training was organized with the aim of developing the understanding of GRB among the participants in order to incorporate GRB into their ministry’s policies and programs. Read More…

Through the ACTA platform, EPD launched its Independent Review of the Afghanistan 1394 National Budget Draft in November 2014. Afghanistan stands at a critical juncture with a new cabinet recently installed, and the London Conference. The report, besides providing a snapshot of the 1394 draft national budget, also focuses on the key indicators of fiscal sustainability, public finance management and budget reforms. Read More…

As part of a year-long project to strengthen access to justice for women affected by violence, EPD organized several trainings and workshops in Panjshir province on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) Law. The aim was to increase community awareness about constraints for women to have access to justice, women’s rights, and women’s participation. Read More…

In order to improve gender-sensitive public policy and budgeting in Afghanistan, EPD conducted a Training of Trainers (ToT) based on EPD’s developed GRB manual for senior government officials in October in New Delhi. The training sessions were based on EPD’s GRB manual and covered a variety of issues, including GBV, gender-mainstreaming, and budget processes. Read More…