On 22nd and 23rd November, EQUALITY for Peace and Development (EPD) held a two-day ToT on 1325 UNSCR for its Provincial Women Networks’ coordinators from 15 provinces of Afghanistan. EPD has already developed a manual and an advocacy toolkit on this topic entailing information such as four pillars of this resolution, implementation of UNSCR in Afghanistan and how PWNs can advocate for women’s peace and security as a support to these four pillars.
On first day of the program after a brief introduction, information about UNSCR and its main objectives were imparted to the participants by Ms. Sheila Qayumi, program coordinator at EPD. She also facilitated group works with active involvement of the participants. After each group discussion the representatives of each group shared the main results of their discussion with the attendees.
Second day of the program was dedicated to share experience and mark the significant advocacies conducted for prevention of violence against women, protection of women, enhancing women participation and providing relief and recovery for WAV victims. The session was led by Ms. Ruqaia Tabasum, Research and Resource Expert with the support of Ms. Farzana Doosti, Research Officer and Ms. Madina Sahar Nazari, Research Intern at EPD.
The prominent achievements mentioned by the coordinators during this session was advocacy for resolving domestic violence cases, eliminating improper custom like decreasing high rate of dowry paid by groom in Paktia, organizing civic movement for filling the damaged road with mud to draw attentions to serious road problem in Daikundi, recruiting women in governmental and non-governmental positions, coordination in providing sanitary kit as aid for women in prisons in Bamyan, providing scholarships, fighting against corruption, monitoring health service delivery for women in Parwan, awareness raising programs in all 15 related provinces and many more.
Furthermore, the research department shared some of the main findings of their ongoing analysis of second round of the PWN assessment. Ms. Tabasum shade light on main objectives of MWPS project that currently covers majority of the PWNs activities. Moreover, advices for conducting better activities and more efficient data collection were provided.
At the end the coordinators shared the main challenges impeding their activities in their related provinces. The participants also shared some of their ongoing advocacies and the cases that currently they are following for women’s peace and security as well as countering other problems in their communities. Accordingly, the attendees shared their opinions and some advises were raised as guidance for smooth implementation of the advocacies.
EPD would like to thank royal kingdom of Netherland and Cordaid for supporting EPD in implementing MWPS project.