One person in eight—or close to 900 million people—is a girl or young woman age 10–24. Presently, Women for Women International works with thousands of young women and adolescent girls between the ages of fifteen and twenty four. In Afghanistan and the DRC, 22% of the women we work with are under age 25; in Kosovo, roughly a quarter of the women we work with are under age 25. The information presented here attempts to capture the unique challenges and opportunities faced by the individuals who fall within this age range in Women for Women International’s programs. So, who are these young women and girls?

What It Means to Be a Girl in a War Torn Country

With limited access to education, increased violence, and displacement, many girls surviving in conflict and post-conflict areas do not have a say about their futures. They often do not have access to education, and are more susceptible to rape, violence, trafficking, and early marriage.

In many of the countries where Women for Women International works, adolescent girls are often married between the ages of 13-15, have kids, and are the single heads of households. Due to these factors, they often have a high chance of rape in countries like Congo, or trafficking in countries like Iraq.

Adolescent girls spend 33–85% more time per day working at home and in unpaid market work than boys of the same age. They are also far less likely to have access to schooling. In Afghanistan, 76% of the young women in our program have no education and 97% have no vocational training. In Sudan, 49% of girls are not enrolled in school, and 100% of the young women in our program are married. In Afghanistan, over 60% of marriages are forced and half of all girls are married before the age of 16.

Early marriage can have severe consequences for an adolescent girl. Girls who marry early are three times more likely to report being forced to have nonconsensual sex in the previous six months. Medical complications from pregnancy are the leading cause of death among young women ages 15–19, and their infants are usually far less healthy than babies born to women over the age of twenty.

Adolescent girls in conflict and post-conflict zones are at high risk for sexual violence and rape. Nearly half of sexual assaults worldwide are perpetrated against girls ages fifteen and younger. Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn document this epidemic of sexual violence:

“About one third of all women worldwide face beatings in the home. Women aged 15-44 are more likely to be maimed or die from male violence than from cancer, malaria, traffic accidents, and war combined. A major study by the WHO found that in most countries, between 30-60 percent of women had experienced physical or sexual violence by a husband or boyfriend.”

Tens of thousands of women have been raped in the DRC since the war began 1998, and the numbers are only increasing. Since the beginning of 2009 alone, 7000 women and girls have been raped. Sexual and gender based violence is especially prevalent in conflict zones, because the absence of men renders female-headed households and widows even more vulnerable. In countries with high numbers of internally displaced people, such as Sudan, women and girls often relocate to refugee camps where they are often targets of sexual violence.

Women that have experienced sexual violence are at especially high risk for fistulas, infertility, and HIV/AIDS. In 2005, 75 percent of 15-24-year-olds living with HIV in Africa were female. An overwhelming amount of girls have been misinformed about how to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. In some countries, a third of girls reported that they believed you could only get HIV from being kissed on the cheek.

With all of these challenges facing young women in war zones, it is easy to feel discouraged by the situation. However, young women and adolescent girls also have the ability to make important changes in their own lives and communities.

Embracing Opportunities: Women for Women International’s Investment in Young Women and Girls

Despite the great obstacles faced by this demographic, there is also enormous opportunity. When given the right tools and resources, women and girls are uniquely positioned to leverage themselves and their families and communities out of poverty. According to Kristof and WuDunn, “Moving women into more productive roles helps curb population growth and nurtures a sustainable society…The consequence of failing to educate girls is a capacity gap not only in billions of dollars of GNP but also in billions of IQ points.”

It’s true. After one year of intensive training in rights awareness, health and life skills, vocational training, and social networking, we have seen extraordinary results in the least likely of places. At least 80% of young women in Afghanistan, Nigeria, Kosovo, and Rwanda reported higher confidence and more awareness of their rights, which are critical resources to future political and economic participation in their families and communities. Afghanistan, DRC, Nigeria and Rwanda all had over 75% of young women report a better economic situation. 89% of our young participants in Afghanistan reported their general and family health to be better after graduation, and 87% of young women in Rwanda reported health improvements.

Looking Forward: Global Development through Women and Girls

The work we do in the field teaches us not only that there is enormous work to be done, but also that there is enormous faith to be had in the future of a world where women and girls are able to contribute equally with men and boys in the development of their communities, countries and economies. Each day that a participant in Afghanistan tells us she will send her girls and her boys to school because it is their right; each day that a nineteen year old second wife in Sudan tells us how she will build a house with the money she has earned as she plants her crops; each day that an eighteen year old rape victim and mother in Congo learns to read, we know that there is hope. As Kristof and WuDunn put it:

“The tide of history is turning women from beasts of burden and sexual playthings into full-fledged human beings. The economic advantages of empowering women are so fast as to persuade nations to move in that direction. Before long, we will consider sex slavery, honor killings, and acid attacks as unfathomable as foot-binding. The question is how long that transformation will take and how many girls will be kidnapped into brothels before it is complete - and whether each of us will be a part of that historical movement, or a bystander.”

Levine, R., Lloyd, C., Greene, M., Grown, C. (2008) Girls Count: A Global Investment and Action Agenda. Center for Global Development.

Center for Global Development.

Kristof, Nicholas D., and WuDunn, Sheryl. (2009) Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for women Worldwide.

UNIFEM.

Center for Global Development.

November 17th, 2009 - Clinton Global Initiative Speech on Commerical Integrated Farming Initiative

In every country where Women for Women International works, the food crisis is a life or death reality for the women we serve. For instance, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has said that at least 18 million of Afghanistan's estimated 26.6 million people, mostly women and children, cannot meet their daily food and nutritional requirements.
In Nigeria, women in our program report that rising food costs render feeding their families three meals a day impossible. One program participant said, "The price of food is high, making money valueless. My children are now crying for more food but I cannot give [it to] them because my money cannot fetch enough food."

At the Clinton Global Initiative meeting, which brought together world leaders and NGOs to discuss practical solutions to development problems, Secretary of State Clinton addressed the dire circumstances of food security worldwide. She said she plans to focus agriculture development efforts increasingly on investing in women farmers and women-run agribusinesses.
Women work to produce 60-80% of the world’s crops, but they only own 1% of all the land (UN). This inequity means that women do the vast majority of the work, but get the least amount of credit. The issue of food insecurity has become even more urgent as a result of the 2008-2009 financial crisis, which, according to FAO, forced another 100 million people into extreme poverty. As a result, there are now over 1 billion people suffering from hunger around the world, or nearly a sixth of the human population.

Through our experience and research, it has become clear that agribusiness holds great potential for many of our women; it provides a model to simultaneously address income generation and food security, two critical issues for socially excluded women and their families. To help us develop and implement agribusiness opportunities, Agribusiness Specialist Dr. Grace F. Fisiy brings 20 years of agricultural and rural development experience to Women for Women International.
During her first few months with us, Grace traveled to Rwanda to launch our first ever Commercial Integrated Farming Initiative (CIFI), a program designed to provide specialized, sustainable agribusiness opportunities to program participants.

CIFI will provide 3,000 women over the course of three years with training in how to use sustainable farming practices to grow crops that can both be sold for profit in the local market and feed their families. So far we have been able to secure funding to pilot CIFI in both Rwanda and Sudan. Based on the success of those pilots, we have launched a third program in Afghanistan.
Secretary Clinton reported to CGI that several African nations have dedicated 10% of their national budgets to agriculture development in an effort similar to CIFI. In Rwanda, this has been incredibly successful; in over three years Rwanda’s GDP has doubled and its investment in agriculture has increased threefold. Programs like this have the power to completely alter the direction of developing nations.

When Grace was asked about the direct impact of CIFI on the current global food crisis, she responded by drawing clear connections between the two: "We are tackling the food crisis on multiple fronts. CIFI's primary focus is commercial farming – production for the market — and this also directly impacts household food production and food security. Women are learning sustainable farming methods to cultivate higher-income crops, like pineapples and strawberries, which they can sell on the local market."

In this way the CIFI program design encompasses a multifaceted attack on the global food crisis, providing participants with a critical model for sustainable income generation and food production that benefits not only individual women but also their families and communities.
Thanks to the visionary work of Women for Women staff and a strong partnership with the Rwandan government, 100 acres of land is dedicated to these women, and to the continually evolving work of Women for Women International. It is our hope that initiatives like CIFI will not only benefit the community as a whole, but will also inspire other communities and countries to engage women as vital participants in sustainable solutions to the world's problems.

November 2nd, 2009 - Women for Women International releases CGI impact numbers

Speakers at the Clinton Global Initiative emphasized the importance of investing in women and girls as a catalyst to alleviate poverty. In her closing remarks, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated the following: “We will put women at the heart of all our development efforts. We have seen again and again—in microfinance and other programs—that women are entrepreneurial, accountable, and practical. They invest their earnings directly in their families and communities. And they pay back loans at a higher rate than is the norm. So women are a wise investment. And since the majority of the world’s farmers are women, it’s critical that our investments in agriculture leverage their ambition and perseverance.”

The four day meeting was opened by President Obama. It hosted the CEOs of Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Kraft and Coca-cola, to mention a few, as well as Women for Women International CEO and Founder Zainab Salbi.
Here are some of the key commitments they made to address global poverty:

282 member commitments, with an estimated value of $8 billion over the coming years. ($1.5 billion was actually committed during the four-day meeting.)
Once fully funded, the positive impact of member commitments is expected to reach 197 million people and create 79 million new jobs.
$5 billion was pledged as investments and loans to small- and medium-sized enterprises.
25 million people will gain access to capital and financial services.
7 million women and girls will benefit directly from member programs.
30 million out-of-school children will gain access to education.
7 million people will be able to power their homes with clean energy, reducing CO2 emissions by 30 million metric tons.

83 million people will gain access to health care for the first time or have access to better care.

About the Clinton Global Initiative Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) brings together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 100 current and former heads of state, 10 of the last 16 Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 1,400 commitments valued at $46 billion, which have improved the lives of more than 200 million people in more than 170 countries.

October 21, 2009 - Women for Women International’s Nigeria Country Director Ngozi Eze given title of Chief in her community

On August 8, 2008, Ngozi Uchenna Eze was named a chief in her community, assuming the title of “Adaora of Etiti Amokwe Community of Enugu State” for her work in the community through Women for Women International (WfWI).

Ngozi, which means “the blessing of Almighty God,” is a native of Nigeria and has been working for WfWI since 2000. She became the Nigeria Country Director in 2003. Under Ngozi’s management, WfWI’s Nigeria office has instituted specialized programs to educate women about HIV/AIDS and the harmful effects of some traditional practices, including female genital cutting and widowhood rituals. In August 2008, Ngozi was named a chief in honor and recognition of her contributions to women’s development there. The honor has not only empowered Women for Women, but serves as an example of the impact the organization has had on the social development of women in the communities in which WfWI works.

Although it rained that day, Ngozi’s celebration ceremony was a joyous and colorful occasion that brought together men and women of the Etiti Amokwe community in celebration of Ngozi’s achievements and those of the women she has helped to raise up through the empowerment and training programs WfWI offers in Nigeria.

October 19th, 2009 - Women for Women International Testimony for the Congressional Record: International Violence Against Women and U.S. Response

Introduction
Women for Women International, an international development and humanitarian organization helping women survivors of war, congratulates the United States House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs and the State and Foreign Operations subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee for its attention to the important issue of violence against women internationally.

Violence against women is a global epidemic affecting millions of women daily that presents debilitating obstacles to the development of women, their families and communities, and even their national economies. While the U.S. has taken important steps to address the issue domestically, where according to the CDC nearly one in four women experience violence by a current or former spouse or boyfriend at some point in her life, the time has come to turn the spotlight on a crippling issue that affects about one third of all women worldwide.

Women for Women International (WfWI) has worked with 200,000 women survivors of war, civil and political conflict and social strife around the world, distributing $79 million in direct aid, microcredit loans and other forms of assistance to women at the grassroots. We work across the gamut of hot, protracted and post- conflict countries, from the Balkans, to the Middle East and South Asia, to sub-Saharan Africa, where violence against women often is exacerbated by conflict and then continues to ravage communities long after official peace accords are signed. We work to equip women with valuable rights education and vocational skills training while engaging men and community leaders as allies, so that entire communities may benefit from the empowerment of women.

Sixteen years of experience has shown us that violence is debilitating not only to women who are victims but also to larger communities and economies. Similarly, the eradication of violence enables communities as well as women to thrive--stronger women build stronger nations. In this testimony we present valuable data and lessons we have learned for the United States to bear in mind as it considers its role in preventing and combating violence against women globally and in consolidating peace and development in countries of strategic importance such as Iraq, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We remind the Congress that tackling violence against women is not only a humanitarian imperative, it is a critical step forward in efforts toward poverty alleviation and national security. We look forward to supporting U.S. leadership on this important work to advance the global movement to protect and empower women and create a stronger, more stable world.

Global Violence against Women Today
Women for Women International works in eight countries in varying stages of conflict and post- conflict, many of which, like Afghanistan, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo, present primary development and security challenges for the United States today. In countries such as these, violence against women is often exacerbated by war and then remains a critical obstacle to development and the consolidation of peace.

Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, where the U.S. continues to define its strategy to achieve peace and development, the U.N. reports that 80% of women are affected by domestic violence, and rape is an everyday occurrence. Over 60% of marriages are forced and half of all girls are married before the ages of 16. In situations of domestic violence, SGBV and forced marriage, many girls and women resort to self-immolation and suicide, rates of which are increasing. In a report and survey of 1,500 grassroots Afghan women conducted by Women for Women International this year, Women for Women International-Afghanistan staff (all of whom are Afghan) pointed to domestic violence as the number one obstacle to the development of WfWI participants in Afghanistan. This is evidence of what Afghanistan country director Sweeta Noori calls “two Afghanistans” – one high-level front on which the battle for peace, security and development is waged, and another in the shadows, where women are silenced and abused.

According to UNIFEM, women and girls in Afghanistan are mostly abused by people close to them (fathers, husbands, step family members, in-laws and other relatives). This groups amounts to 92% of reported cases of abuse. Perhaps nowhere more than violence against women is Afghanistan’s inability to support and to serve its population more painfully visible - when women and girls seek protection and/or recourse from the government, they are unable to access shelters or justice, and are often further molested by officials such as the police in their attempts to seek help. This repeated victimization demonstrates the tremendous risk that women face when they dare raise their voice about violence against women. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission cites this culture of impunity, weak institutions and overwhelming poverty as contributing factors to the increasing epidemic violence against women in Afghanistan.

Against this background of violence against women, it is not difficult to see the direct link between the oppression of women and the frailty of national development and security structures. It is not surprising that Afghanistan has one of the lowest literacy rates and one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world, a key development indicator. When half of the population is effectively barred from participation in the reconstruction and development of a country whose institutions and people have been wracked by decades of war, it is impossible to imagine a healthy, wealthy Afghanistan.

Iraq
Despite heavy investment to quell ongoing conflict, combat insecurity, and rejuvenate a decimated economy, the vestiges of war, poverty and increasing calls for a conservative society in which women are subservient figures foster a landscape of violence against Iraqi women both within and outside of the home. The U.N. reports that rape is committed habitually by all the main armed groups.
Recently returned from a trip to her home country of Iraq, WfWI Founder and CEO Zainab Salbi echoes reports of increases in rape, trafficking, prostitution, forced and early marriage and domestic violence, noting that mothers and women of her generation and older are often more educated and less socially conservative than daughters.

In a 2007 report and survey of grassroots Iraqi women, Women for Women International found that 63.9% of respondents stated that violence against women in general was increasing, with 38.5% reporting that rape was increasing. At the same time, 76% of respondents were keeping their daughters home from school, foreshadowing a toxic mix of violence, increasing conservatism and decreasing emphasis on education in a country that faces a youth bulge following war.

As in Afghanistan, women and girls often do not report violence for fear of being ostracized or killed. Services for survivors are inadequate and impunity prevails. The link between security and development is obvious – Iraq is a country that has known a healthy economy, an educated workforce, a developed university system and relatively progressive social norms where women are concerned, yet the war has compromised all of this and women bear the brunt of the violence with least voice to stop it. As in Afghanistan, envisioning a stronger, more stable Iraq is difficult while women are marginalized and abused.

Democratic Republic of Congo
Over the course of more than a decade of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), millions of lives have been lost and hundreds of thousands of women and girls have been raped in a strategic campaign of sexual violence employed by virtually all armed groups, including the military, in an attempt to destroy women and the social fabric of communities across Congo. In 2009, the violence is still increasing. The violence causes great psychological trauma in addition to physical injuries and the spread of HIV against a backdrop of a failed state in which services are largely unavailable to deliver treatment or protection to victims nor accountability to perpetrators.

In a survey of 2,000 grassroots women in the DRC conducted this summer, Women for Women International found worrying indicators that violence is on the rise, that it is moving from the frontlines into the home, and that despite the fact that investment in women is a proven strategy to develop communities and decrease conflict, most women continue to live in abject poverty, subject to violence, displacement and the terror associated with war. Eight out of ten focus group respondents reported abuse, an earth-shattering statistic in a social context where women often fail to report violence for fear of being stigmatized and cast out by their families and communities. 88 percent of perpetrators of sexual violence were reported to be members of the military or militia; however, the violence is moving inside the home, with 18% of our female respondents reporting being physically abused primarily within their household. Increasingly, the trend of violence exacerbated by conflict is moving into the home as a culture of violence is established.

This violence is a direct obstacle to the DRC’s national development as a whole. The conflict impedes any meaningful economic development. Although the land is fertile and plentiful in Congo, 80% of arable land is unused. Farmers have missed the past three harvests due to conflict, rendering the population dependent upon imports and food aid for survival. Our survey found a majority of respondent households depend on agriculture for basic sustenance and income; however, according to the survey data, only 22 percent of women interviewed engage in agricultural activities, as a direct result of the conflict.

In August of this year, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton established the situation in the Congo as one of key strategic import to American interests by travelling to Congo, where she focused particularly on the epidemic of rape and violence against women in the East. Her visit and consequent dedication of over $17 million dollars of assistance to protect and empower women survivors of war there is a critical precedent and a reflection of the notion that assistance directed at women pays dividends across national economic and security strategies to stimulate economies and consolidate peace.

Response and Recommendations
Sixteen years of experience working with women survivors of war has taught us that the link between security and development is direct and incontrovertible. War exacerbates the poverty trap since risk of renewed violence in post-conflict countries is high—an estimated 40 percent of post-conflict countries relapse into conflict within 10 years. The roots of poverty often foment conflict insofar as joblessness is exploited by extremists, conflict over resources comes to a head, and education and opportunity are unavailable alternatives to war. And it’s expensive: while the risk of failure in these countries is high, the risk of non-action is even higher—the annual, global cost of conflict is estimated to be around $100 billion. Aside from the financial and humanitarian cost associated with violence, it also destroys assets and institutions.

Yet a growing body of evidence echoes our experience on the ground: we are not without tools to tackle the problem of violence against women, families and societies—there is action we can take to protect and empower women and create a more prosperous, secure world. Direct investment in women and the institutions that protect and empower them can combat and prevent this global epidemic. Emerging evidence indicates that women who sustain an income are often less likely to be victimized, and are certainly less likely to engage in transactional sex and other forms of victimization.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for instance, violence compromises prospects for peace and stability and undermines the economic productivity of women. Half of WfWI survey respondents knew a sexual violence survivor, yet the women reported that survivors are less likely to be rejected if they are earning an income. Women said that more than anything else, “peace” is being safe enough to work and trade (46%). As a roadmap to that peace, women requested improvements in security (51%), microcredit opportunities (30%), and vocational skills training so they can access economic opportunities (27%).

Where women are trained and able to participate in their national economies through concrete economic opportunities, they thrive and their families and communities see them as assets. Women farmers enrolled in an organic farming program run by Women for Women International in Sudan are on track to earn double the per capita gross domestic product of their country after only six months. Country director Karak Mayik reports that the male community leaders who were originally hostile to the concept of working to empower women now have asked her to expand to neighboring states and literally “spread the wealth.”

While direct investment in women is a critical step, our efforts must not exclude men. As the majority of perpetrators of violence, controllers of wealth and influence and leaders of institutions, the men must be engaged in the strategy to prevent and combat violence against women and foster stronger nations. Through our Men’s Leadership Program that trains male community leaders from all aspects of society to understand the negative effects of violence and the marginalization of women have on the development of the community as a whole, we have seen the progress that can be made when men are engaged in a campaign for behavior change and opening of social, political and economic opportunities for women’s participation. In Afghanistan, for instance, Women for Women International trained 400 mullahs to incorporate the value of women’s rights and value to the economy and society in their Friday speeches, thereby promoting women’s participation amongst congregation members from across the society. In the DRC, thousands of men have participated in the training program, where 91 percent of graduates agreed there are good reasons for a husband to stay with his wife if she has experienced violence and 93 percent said program encouraged them to prevent VAW in the community. One militia commander who had always commanded his men to rape abolished rape in his unit after he learned about the spread of the HIV virus.

While the obstacles poor women face globally—violence preeminent among them—are many, so are the opportunities investment in them presents not only for preventing and combating violence, but also for stimulating national economic development and a more stable and secure world. Our approach should include a global gender strategy that unites protection and service provision for victims; economic development opportunities for survivors; and community (and men’s) education and engagement campaigns whereby communities design and implement their own strategies to end violence and engage women in social, economic and political processes and institutions. Steps the United States can and should take in assistance programming include:

Invest in women. Increase official development assistance (ODA) for women by tracking and evaluating existing aid commitments based on impact on gender equality and developing new commitments that scale women’s programs beyond pilots and token projects.

Protect women. Protect women from violence and exploitation by strengthen rule of law and accountability mechanisms for prosecuting perpetrators and ensuring that policing, peacekeeping and military operations are gender-sensitized. Enable women to safely access and exercise their human rights and full political, economic and social participation, and prevent and combat institutionalized violence like trafficking and honor crimes. Protect women, from leaders who seek local and national office, to farmers traveling to and from their fields to girls traveling to and from wells, bore holes and remote sources of water and fuel.

Resource women. Women constitute the majority of the world’s reproductive labor and are often the least-resourced, most-exploited actors in the formal and grey economies. Open socially- and market- viable opportunities for women’s economic participation through job training and creation. Promote women’s access to and understanding of resources such as credit mechanisms, information technology, extension services, and property rights. Codify women’s ownership of their labor, inputs and profits.

Educate women. Worldwide, the full development of women and girls is avoidably constrained by inferior levels of literacy, basic education and skills training. Ensure women and girls have equal access to education across all levels, ages and tracks. This includes primary, secondary and university-level education; literacy, financial literacy and adult basic education; vocational skills training; and civic education outlining the rights of women and girls as they are outlined in national, family and religious laws.

Serve women. Women and girls are underserved the world over. Develop and expand social services that take women into account--women’s programs should be mainstreamed across all of government, with each ministry drafting a gender action plan that allocates and tracks resources through gender budgeting. Prioritize health and legal services to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates and treat, protect and empower survivors of rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence against women.

Invite women. As half of the population, women are stakeholders in everything. Ensure that gender is integrated across every political body, policy measure, donor conference, development strategy and military campaign, from the public to the private sector and from the local to the national level. Women must be at the table in more than token--if not equal--numbers.

We thank the Congress for its attention to this important issue and look forward to supporting and expanding existing efforts to take a leadership role in preventing and combating violence against women so that families, societies and nations around the world will benefit.

More information can be found at www.womenforwomen.org or by contacting Lyric Thompson, Policy Analyst and External Relations Officer, at 202.449.9440 or lthompson@womenforwomen.org

october 19, 2009 - Announcing the Launch of Economica

Greetings from the International Museum of Women!

I’m very excited to announce the launch of Economica: Women and the Global Economy, I.M.O.W.’s latest global online, multimedia exhibition. Economicaexplores topics from business leadership and giving to microenterprise and grassroots solutions, sparking new, timely discussions about women's experiences, contributions and challenges in this era of financial uncertainty.

EXPERIENCE striking audio slideshows of women in diverse economic circumstances: Learn how women's funds are redefining philanthropy in Nepal; see how female migrant workers in China face difficult choices; explore whether microfinance actually alleviates poverty in Bolivia; get inspired by the empowerment of Arab businesswomen in Qatar.
READ original essays from experts: Global Summit of Women President Irene Natividad makes the case for why investment in women is crucial to global economic recovery and CEO of Women for Women International Zainab Salbi argues that we need big picture solutions to complete an economic revolution. Curator Masum Momaya also reminds us that in this time of crisis, it’s not about elevating women over men but creating an economy that works for everyone.
DIALOGUE with leading scholars, activists and economists from around the world by contributing comments, stories, and artwork.
CONNECT on related themes in I.M.O.W.'s online community forum.
TRANSFORM the way you look at the relationship between women and money in this new global online exhibition.

I want to extend a special thanks to everyone who contributed content, images, links, support and sage advice over the many months it took to develop this exhibition. We could not have done this without your generosity and help. Thank you also to our community of artists, activists, and forum participants for sharing your beautiful work and keeping our Web site vibrant, respectful, and engaging.

We hope you will spend some time exploring Economica and join in the conversation!

Toward Effective and Inclusive Development in Today’s Afghanistan:
A Call for a Fresh Look at Donor Priorities and Strategies in 2010

Toward Effective and Inclusive Development in Today’s Afghanistan: A Call for a Fresh Look at Donor Priorities and Strategies in 2010 According to the United Nations, 2009 was the deadliest year for civilians in Afghanistan,1 and the January 18th Taliban-sponsored bombings in Kabul suggest 2010 is not off to a much better start. With the national elections postponed for 4 months, the future for this
troubled nation seems more uncertain than ever. Widespread corruption and immense poverty compound problems, pointing to mounting problems despite immense international investment--more than $20bn since 20012. As in the rest of the world, Afghanistan’s women are more likely to live in poverty and be targeted for violence, and less likely to enjoy the benefits of national services or international aid. “There are two Afghanistans,” says Sweeta Noori, Women for Women International’s Afghanistan Country Director, “The international community often sees one Afghanistan that is progressing and developing. Yet there is another Afghanistan that is violent, unstable, and very scary for women.”

The status of women is increasingly accepted as an indicator of the overall stability and openness of a state—women are the bellwether of society. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in today’s Afghanistan. It is the 2nd poorest nation in the world, with over 42% of the population living in absolute poverty.3 Poverty exacerbates tension, displacement and conflict, leaving people vulnerable to exploitation and extremists’ demands. As donors refine priorities in tackling enduring challenges to security and development in the country, we must look again at the trajectory of Afghan women, asking ourselves difficult questions about the efficacy of our efforts, whether or not our funds and efforts are reaching the people they are intended to help, and how we can readjust our focus to ensure that our approaches ensure the effective and inclusive development of a more stable and prosperous Afghanistan. We must commit ourselves not only to frontline discussions of war and troop
levels, but also to backline issues of health and social, political and economic participation—
the very issues that define the status of women.

Security and Development: A Direct and Incontrovertible Link
The security situation in Afghanistan is increasingly unstable. According to the UN, 40% of Afghanistan is still vulnerable to Taliban.4 The civilian death toll continues to rise, as do rates of violence against women. At the same time, Afghanistan is home to among the world’s most extreme poverty levels. Approximately 8.5 million people (37%) are on the borderline of food insecurity, and 7.4 million people – nearly a third of the population – are unable to get enough food to live active, healthy lives.5 The case study of Afghanistan demonstrates how inextricably intertwined and mutually-dependent security and development are: without adequate security, there will never be a safe space for sustainable development.

The outlook for women is especially bleak. Afghanistan has the world’s second highest maternal mortality rate and 7% of women die in child birth. That is one woman every 27 minutes.6 Just as alarming, the UN reports that 80% of women are affected by domestic violence. Rape has become an everyday occurrence. Women who attempt to participate in public life are consistently threatened and attacked. Female politicians, journalists, and even women and girls seeking education are assaulted and sometimes killed.7 Despite a 25% parliamentary quota for women’s seats, would-be female candidates sustain threats and worry that contending for this year’s parliamentary elections could cost them their lives or family members. 8 Women who seek the vote are also intimidated—Noori describes entire communities where women were unable to visit the polls in the August elections while men and boys as young as twelve voted “for” them. Furthermore, says Noori, elected female
politicians are paraded about as “window dressings,” often purely cosmetic indications of women’s political participation.

International Assistance: More Direct Investment in Women Needed
Despite tremendous international investment in Afghanistan, crippling poverty, instability and unsanitary conditions prevail.9 Closer examination of existing aid patterns reveals an estimated 40% of aid goes back to donor countries in corporate profits and consultant salaries – some $6 billion since 2001.10 Between aid flight and widespread corruption, little aid reaches the ground—security and lack of infrastructure prevent further obstacles, with rural areas rarely benefiting from international assistance. Of the small sum that reaches poor Afghans, even less reaches the most vulnerable people at the bottom of the social pyramid: women and children.

Although programs like the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) are beginning to address these problems by diverting funds from Kabul to the provinces, there is still insufficient support for women. Although 10% of NSP funds and a few provincial council positions that disseminate those funds are reserved for women, often intimidation of female candidates prevents those seats from being filled and the funds are spent elsewhere. As Noori says, “the NSP is good, but not for women.”

Recommendations for Donors Security and Development
As donor countries step up military investment in Afghanistan in the name of security, we must also remember that civilian-led development efforts are equally critical--and complementary--to that effort. Afghanistan’s most immediate needs are not national governance and policy reforms; it is the urgent interventions to help starving and impoverished Afghans, especially in rural areas and vulnerable communities such as women and children: 42% of Afghans are poor and 37% are hungry. This is the crisis of the day, and experts on the ground such as Noori know that the focus needs to be a long-term focus on community-level economic development and security. Investment is critically needed in comprehensive rural development, including market-based vocational skills training for
women. Recognition of the interdependence of security and development should not equate a militarization of aid however; civilian humanitarian and development experts should be equally empowered. The military should invest in security and military training activities while civilian aid agencies specialize in development efforts such as building infrastructure, services, and local capacity.

In both of these critical arenas, a gendered approach is paramount to success. As mothers and caretakers, women have their fingers on the pulse of society and reinvest up to 90% of their income in the family. As leaders, they are often the first to cross lines of conflict to come together for common good. Afghan women must be able to access knowledge and leadership opportunities and to inform debate at all levels of the economy and society. Their needs must be met to help future generations and long term stability. Development strategies must empower women from the grassroots to the grass-tops, with equal investment in microfinance, vocational skills training and healthcare, as well as building women leaders and ensuring women are present at the negotiating table across the board. Security strategies must be committed to providing protection to women in public and private life, from schoolgirls, to voters, to members of parliament.

International Assistance
Existing foreign aid to Afghanistan needs urgently to be reformed. In order to combat corruption and ensure that assistance reaches Afghans, further monitoring and decentralization of aidflows is needed. Models like that of the National Solidarity Programme that attempt to decentralize assistance should be scaled, but also should ensure that earmarks exist for local women’s programs and that those flows are monitored and evaluated effectively. More money should be directed to women and girls: instead of 10% of the funds, programs like the NSP should allocate a minimum of 25% of their development money to women, who are known to reinvest in families and communities. Furthermore,
donors must ensure local leadership like the NSP provincial councils actually do represent women as well as men. Incentives and conditions could be imposed to mandate the inclusion of women in local councils and the national government, ensuring women are safe and quotas are fully implemented.

The Promise of Inclusive Development
Nearly a decade ago, when international focus first shifted to Afghanistan, civil society leaders such as Noori had hope that a new window would be opened for social, political and economic empowerment for women and for all Afghans. For this hope to be realized, we must refine our approaches, ensuring that new strategies are inclusive, transparent, and more effectively promoting the long-term peace and prosperity of Afghanistan.

1 UNAMA. “UNAMA calls for safety first, as civilian casualties rise in Afghanistan rise by 14% in
2009,” January 2010.
2 “Q+A-Does aid money reach Afghans?” 09 Sep 2009 Source: Reuters
3 UNDP. Human Development Report 2009; OHCHR, Silence is Violence, July 2009.
4 Bergen, Peter. U.N. map shows that 40 percent of Afghanistan is vulnerable to Taliban, Foreign
Policy, August 2009.
5 WFP. Afghanistan. 2010, http://www.wfp.org/node/3191.
6 Leidl, P. Dying to Live: Maternal Mortality in Afghanistan, UNFPA, July 2006.
7 OHCHR. Silence is Violence, July 2009.
8 Ibid.
9 U.S. Commercial Service. Doing Business in Afghanistan, 2007.
10 Waldman, Matt. Falling Short, Oxfam, March 2008.

Nigeria Country Director Ngozi Eze attends WAAD International Conference

From August 3-8, 2009, Women for Women International – Nigeria Country Director Ngozi Eze attended the fourth Women in Africa & the African Diaspora (WAAD) Conference in Abuja, Nigeria. The theme of the conference was “Education, Gender and Sustainable Development in the Age of Globalization” and served as a platform for scholars, practitioners and policy makers to discuss the connection between girls’ education and sustainable development in a quickly globalizing world. WAAD, founded in 1989, is an opportunity for people from all backgrounds and professions to engage on women’s issues in Africa and the Diaspora.

We congratulate Ngozi on her participation in this conference, where she presented her paper, “From Victim to Active Citizen: A Model for Women’s Empowerment – A Case Study of Women for Women International-Nigeria.” Created in 2000, WfWI-Nigeria has served over 23,000 women through a core program of rights awareness and job skills training, as well as direct aid via sponsorship. Additionally, WfWI-Nigeria engages men in women’s empowerment through the Men’s Leadership Training Program. Ngozi reports the WfWI-Nigeria has helped women register over 300 cooperative groups and open bank accounts. WfWI-Nigeria will soon initiate the development of a Women’s Opportunity Center, which will expand services to program participants and graduates.

Women for Women International congratulates Mary Robinson on winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Barack Obama awarded Mary Robinson and twelve other recipients with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on August 12, 2009. The Medal is the United State’s top civilian honor.

Mary Robinson is a lifelong human rights activist, who formerly served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR). She was also the first female President of Ireland. She has brought attention to human rights injustices at home in Ireland and in her work abroad. Speaking at the 1995 Beijing UN Conference for Women, she coined the slogan “women’s rights are human rights.” Throughout her career, Robinson has integrated this principle with the mission of her work. As a champion for all people, she especially lent her voice to socially-excluded women, who go unheard in many parts of the world.

Mary Robinson is now a member of The Elders group of social change visionaries. Today, she leads the Realizing Rights Ethical Globalization Initiative. She affirms the dignity and equality of all people and embraces the unique position of women as she continues to promote gender equality worldwide. She is truly deserving of the honor of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Women for Women International celebrates Mary Robinson and congratulates her on her lifetime of service, dedication and commitement to human rights.

Women for Women International Congratulates Secretary Clinton for Amplifying the Voices of Women Rape Survivors

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Women for Women International congratulates U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for prioritizing violence against women and girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). “I am glad to see Secretary Clinton is taking action to stop the epidemic of violence against women in my country,” said Christine Karumba, Country Director for Women for Women International’s Democratic Republic of Congo chapter, “I welcome American support to protect and empower Congolese women.”

Last week, Secretary Clinton visited the town of Goma in Eastern DRC to listen to accounts of women rape survivors who are speaking out and demanding justice. The more than decade-long conflict in the DRC has claimed the lives of over 5.4 million people and played host to a gruesome and strategic rape campaign that has decimated the lives of hundreds of thousands of women. “The visit of the Secretary of State is very important” said Women for Women International Founder and CEO Zainab Salbi in an interview with NewsHour’s Jim Lehrer. “Her message and the U.S. message towards Congo, that “we do care about you,” [and] her announcement about $17 million for investment in women and children... is significant for Congo, and it's the first time that Congo gets this level of attention from the U.S.”

Secretary Clinton’s unprecedented move to hold conference not only with President Joseph Kabila but also with displaced women living in the squalor of a camp nearly a thousand miles from the capital—in the heart of a conflict zone—sets a valuable precedent affirming our own proven philosophy that the stability of a nation is inextricably linked with the status of its women. Stronger women do build stronger nations.

"I told President Kabila we want to help end the violence," Clinton told a group of displaced women living in Mugunga camp. Clinton condemned the widespread use of rape in the conflict, which she termed as “unspeakable violence against women and girls” and “evil in its basest form.”
We applaud Secretary Clinton’s condemnation of the violence and her efforts to match diplomatic rhetoric with development assistance. In talks with Kabila, Clinton emphasized the need to end impunity for those who perpetrate sexual violence. Additionally, Clinton committed $17 million in new funds to help victims of sexual violence, enabling crucial medical services to reach victims, documenting the violence and increase the protection and security of women and girls.
Secretary Clinton’s attention represents hope for the hundreds of thousands of women, who have been raped, tortured, and often rejected by their families and communities. Together, we can bring a lasting peace to Congo.
***
For more information on Women for Women International’s work in DRC, contact Lyric Thompson at lthompson@womenforwomen.org. You can sponsor a Congolese woman through our program, donate online, or run for Congo Women.

A New Era in Civil-Military Cooperation: An Opportunity for Women?

Washington DC—August 17th, 2009 - In her testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this April, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presented an image of an egalitarian relationship between civilian and military actors: “First, civilians complement and build upon our military’s efforts in conflict areas like Iraq and Afghanistan. Second, they use diplomatic and development tools to build more stable and peaceful societies, hopefully to avert or end conflict that is far less costly in lives and dollars than military action.” We in the development community welcome the idea of an equal partnership after a period of time in which funding for defense assistance has exponentially trumped that of development assistance; we welcome the call for a “civilian surge.”

As the Obama Administration looks to define itself in the world generally and in Iraq and Afghanistan in particular, a new opportunity is emerging to redefine civil-military cooperation as a true partnership in which both communities participate fully. The Administration’s evident emphasis on women’s issues (President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law his first day in office, created a White House Council on Women and Girls on International Women’s Day, and has created the new position of Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues in the State Department) coupled with recent developments in the mandate of civil-military mechanisms such as the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) indicate an opportunity for the engagement of women as leaders and partners in the quest for global security and development.

While this assertion may seem a bit of a stretch within the traditional realm of civil-military cooperation, there is some evidence that this is not only possible but already an emerging reality. The PRTs provide an interesting case study.

Originally designed as a forum for equal partnership between civilian and military actors engaged in the reconstruction effort in Iraq and Afghanistan, the PRTs quickly became military-dominated. Inability to fill civilian positions on the PRTs meant that the men and women of the armed services were increasingly called upon to perform development tasks for which they often lacked necessary expertise. Troops were tasked with such traditionally civilian-run projects such as constructing schools and hospitals, often with less-than-ideal results.

Women for Women International Afghanistan country director Sweeta Noori recalls one example: “[The PRTs] built a hospital in Jalalabad, a fine hospital, and were eager to see it put to use. But they forgot to communicate this to the Ministry of Health, which had no plans to support a hospital in that location, and the building stands empty to this day.” Noori shakes her head as she recalls the confusion. “Any mother or caretaker in the community could have told them this was not the proper place to build a hospital. We know where our sick and our injured have need for medical facilities. It was unfortunate.”

In this instance, consulting community stakeholders – especially women, who care for the sick and infirm – would have quickly made clear the actual needs surrounding the proposed hospital-construction project.

The conflict/post-conflict context in which much of civil-military cooperation takes place has proven a unique opening for advancing the status, participation and rights of women. Quotas for women’s political participation are possible in new constitutions, as we have seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. In post-genocide Rwanda, a constitutional quota for women’s parliamentary participation has paved the way for the country’s current-day achievement of 56 percent, the world’s greatest female representation in government. (The country, one might add, is an island of socioeconomic stability amidst a current of insecurity and conflict throughout the Great Lakes region.) Also in Rwanda, women led the way forward in the country’s reconstruction and recovery efforts, organizing to adopt children orphaned by conflict and participating fully in new structures for democratic governance at all levels. This is an encouraging body of evidence pointing to the critical role women have to play in the construction of stronger communities and nations.

Remarks by Secretary Clinton at an April 2009 town hall meeting of Iraqi PRT leaders demonstrate a renewed commitment to women’s development, empowerment and full participation in civil-military efforts. She said, “I believe strongly that supporting and empowering women is good for countries … I believe that Iraq will be much stronger if women are educated and empowered to participate on behalf of themselves and their families, particularly their children, as Iraq makes a new future.”

There are heartening indications that these words will be translated into practice within the existing civil-military framework. Noori reports encouraging conversations with PRT representatives in Afghanistan who are newly interested in engaging women in their efforts to rebuild the fractured and poverty-stricken country. “I had a wonderful conversation with the PRTs, who are looking to support and learn from Afghan women moving forward. I’m very excited by the idea that women might access the opportunity to develop their own potential as leaders and participants in Afghanistan’s social, political and economic realms, and, in so doing, contribute to a stronger, more stable Afghanistan.”

Noori is hopeful that this and other developments signify a genuine indication that progress is being made toward a new era of balanced civil-military cooperation that leverages the distinct knowledge and capacities of women toward the twin goals of security and development. “I think that we can help each other to achieve our common goals. In a recent survey we conducted among 1,500 Afghan women, the women identified the inseparability of security and development: 66 percent identified security as the primary challenge facing the state, and 81 percent identified the need for commodities, job opportunities and services as primary challenges they faced on a daily basis. We need the military to provide a secure environment in which we can do our work. And the military needs us to sustain that stability and cement peace through the creation of opportunities for social, political and economic participation. I’m looking forward to working together for a more peaceful, stable Afghanistan, of which women are going to be an integral part. And in my conversations with the PRT representatives in Afghanistan, they’re equally excited about us and ready to support our work with women.”

Statement on The Impending Trial of Lubna Ahmed Hussein

Washington DC—August 6th, 2009 - The arrest and impending trial of Lubna Ahmed Hussein, a Sudanese woman who worked for the U.N., is a deplorable act. Lubna’s arrest demonstrates just how urgently the world’s women are in need of established, equal rights globally. Women for Women International fully supports Lubna's strength, courage and determination in waiving her U.N.-affiliated immunity in an effort to change the law for women in Sudan.

It is shocking to hear the charges against Ms Hussein relate to her allegedly wearing "indecent" clothing. Ms Hussein says she was caught wearing trousers and risks being sentenced to 40 lashings. Although Sudanese courts have postponed trail, Lubna is brave and eager to make a stand for women’s rights in Sudan by challenging the oppressive laws in court. "I don't know why they are [postponing trial]… I think they just want to delay the case."
Lubna is determined to waive her U.N. immunity and fight this case, all the way to the Sudanese constitutional court if necessary. She feels the law under which she is charged is discriminatory, oppressive to women and "against the constitution and sharia [Islamic law]". Lupna has defiantly challenged her opponents that "refer to the sharia to justify flagellating women because of what they wear” to “ show me which Quranic verses or hadith [sayings of the Prophet Mohammed] say so. I haven't found them," Her bravery in waiving her immunity is truly admirable, and a model for women worldwide.

Karak Mayik is Country Director for Women for Women International-Sudan and, as a South Sudanese woman formerly displaced to camps in Khartoum by the country’s civil war, is intimately familiar with the injustices faced by Sudanese women. “Women, especially the poor women, street vendors and students, have been and continue to be subjected to constant threat of being arrested, beaten and tortured just for what they are wearing and their mere presence on the street. The majority are denied legal recourse and once arrested they risk being sent to prison or flogged,” she said in a solidarity statement released by Karak and other Sudanese women activists earlier this month. Karak urged the Sudanese government to cease the use of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishments.

This case brings into sharp perspective the many obstacles that still prevent Sudanese women today from exercising their full human rights and participation in the public sphere, which Women for Women International is actively helping to change through our work on the ground. We believe that the well being of women like Lubna is the bellwether of society. Sudan faces myriad development challenges—conflict, poverty, drought and displacement among them—and it is only with the full inclusion and empowerment of Sudanese women that there is any hope of overcoming them. Women for Women International works with poor Sudanese women to give them rights education and job skills training that will help them become active citizens.

In the words of Rebecca, a WfWI-Sudan participant, “According to our culture, a woman has no right over her children especially during marriages. You get no benefits… Now I have farming plots initiated by WfWI-Sudan, and I get money from selling vegetables. Our [patriarchal] culture is very strong but I took my three children to school: one girl and two boys in school.”

When women are informed of their rights and able to access them, they can be powerful agents of change. Women like Rebecca and Lubna are building the foundations for a peaceful, stable Sudan. They are feeding families, advocating for their rights, stimulating economic growth and educating children--but for this to happen, they must be able to exercise their human rights and full social, economic and political participation. Their rights must be preserved and protected. By their own accounts, if Sudanese women can participate shoulder to shoulder with men in rebuilding their country, all of society will benefit.

Brita Schmidt, Director of Operations for Women for Women International-U.K., was recently interviewed by the BBC regarding the charges laid against Lubna. Brita affirmed Lubna’s courage and the need for women’s rights to be upheld: “It has always taken a brave woman to stand up against oppression, and to say, in this case, “Why Can’t I wear trousers?”” she said. “What Lubna is doing is incredibly brave, and women around the world need to back her and support her in saying: “No more.””

For more information about this story or on Women for Women International’s work in Sudan, visit www.womenforwomen.org or contact Lyric Thompson at lthompson@womenforwomen.org or 202.449.9440.

Zainab Salbi on President Obama’s Cairo Speech, Engaging the Muslim World

New York, NY—June 4, 2009 – “Obama crafted a good balance between respect of Islam and Muslim women (particularly observant women who do believe that their head scarf is part of their Islamic duty) and of firmly asserting Islamic culture does not contradict women’s access to education and social, economic, political and human rights.

Obama’s tone paved the way for productive dialogue rather than accusation and defensiveness, which has been a historical pattern in U.S. messaging toward the Muslim world. Rather than putting Muslims on the defensive regarding women’s rights, Obama looked toward the future and said, as I often say, stronger nations cannot be built without the full inclusion of women and girls.

Particularly, I was pleased that the speech addressed the Muslim streets. It acknowledged issues such as colonialism, stereotyping, the tension between democracy and authoritarianism, and economic opportunity. He quoted the Koran, a few times, which was emotional for me and for many Muslims listening across the world. He quoted the Koran in a spirit of respect, and referred to Muslim people as people of the books. This is a compelling “we” rather than “you versus me” dynamic that he established. I think that this speech can pave the way for anew paradigm of Judeo-Christian Islamic dialogue.
I was pleased to see the weight the speech gave to issues such as women’s education and economic opportunity. Foremost, he was respectful of Muslim women. This respect enabled him to really push on critical issues for the advancement and the empowerment of women in the region. Only 55% of Muslim women are literate is a very dangerous statistic. It’s equally debilitating that for every 100 men in the Muslim world only 40 women work. These issues are often overlooked in our diplomatic engagement with the region, so his incorporation of these issues about human development—women in particular—is incredibly significant and promising. I think many men in the Muslim world did not expect Obama to address women’s issues; the fact that he did is very significant.

Similarly, the President’s focus on economic opportunity in a region that is majority youth (percentages vary depending on if you define ‘youth’ as under 16 or 24) is important. It signals, I believe, a major shift in U.S. foreign policy in the region towards investment in building those economic opportunities that will bolster social and economic development and build stronger states.
I just came from Iraq where you have 76% of Iraqi women we surveyed not sending their daughters to school. This is very dangerous. You can’t talk about the future of Iraq if you don’t address the crisis of girls not going to school. And the same with employment, there are no employment opportunities for Iraqi women. In my work with my organization Women for Women International we are prioritizing job and livelihoods creation and training for women as a prerequisite for nation building. The economy has been decimated in Iraq—all of the factories are closed, we import all of the food, down to the pickle, a staple of the Iraqi household. This is an overwhelming obstacle for development, but it is simultaneously an opportunity for us to invent an inclusive economy that makes room for women entrepreneurs. We are working to reestablish domestic markets for things like soap, linens and candles, and we’re empowering women to be the producers.

President Obama has in this speech paved the way for a productive dialogue with the Muslim world that starts from mutually shared values of peace, human rights and development. The next step is for us as a global community to avail ourselves of this opportunity and move forward together. Women for Women International is working every day to further that dialogue and that partnership, linking sponsors in the West and globally with sisters working to rebuild their lives, families and communities in Iraq and Afghanistan. We look forward to continuing to build stronger communities and a stronger, more developed and peaceful region, together.”

For more information on Women for Women International’s work in Iraq and Afghanistan, or for more on Zainab Salbi, please contact Lyric Thompson at lthompson@womenforwomen.org or 202.449.9440.

Experts Consider the Global Economic Crisis, Call for Urgent Investment in Women

Caroline Kennedy, Nicholas D. Kristof, Zainab Salbi, others consider the challenges, opportunities of the global economic crisis for the world’s women

New York, NY—June 3, 2009 – Over 300 people gathered on the Upper East Side of Manhattan Graduation Party Shot yesterday to hear from thought leaders the likes of the New York Times’ columnist Nicholas D. Kristof; attorney, writer and Vice Chair of the New York City Fund for Public Schools Caroline Kennedy; Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Isobel Coleman; filmmaker and philanthropist Abigail Disney; Afghanistan expert and Institute for State Effectiveness co-founder Clare Lockhart; and Women for Women International Founder and CEO Zainab Salbi as they examined the effects of the global economic crisis on the world’s developing and conflict-affected countries, especially for women.

“If resources were in the hands of women, they would be more likely to be used to educate children and support the household,” Kristof offered. At a time when global resources are extremely limited, foreign assistance discussions center around making assistance efforts count. Investing in women has yielded tremendous results for family and community development, and was offered as a model by which efforts to combat global poverty and bolster security can be structured.

“It is important to develop women leaders, to create role models, a space for women at the political table and to focus on women’s economic empowerment,” said Lockhart. “So many times we start at the wrong end of the spectrum when there is a crisis: we start with politics and armies and we leave the citizens and the women out of the picture. We need to start at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, with the citizens and the women.”

Despite the severe effect the financial crisis has had pushing nations and people hovering between crisis and stability back into poverty and instability—some estimates hold that number at 105 million, with conflict exacerbated worldwide—there is still international reluctance to acknowledge the key role women have to play as partners in the solution.

“There has been a tendency to regard women’s issues as soft issues,” conceded Coleman. “As recently as seven years ago when I began my work with the Council [on Foreign Relations], these issues were not considered essential to foreign policy, and were met with considerable skepticism. But stabilizing societies depends on empowering women. I think we are on the cusp of something really quite transformational.”

Panelists offered the work of Women for Women International, which supports conflict-affected women via economic empowerment as well as rights and leadership training, as a model for international efforts to effect change at a time of crisis. The group sounded a call for continued—if not increased—investment in programs like those of Women for Women International that tackle social and economic development in a holistic manner that bolsters both economic and leadership capacity for grassroots women.

Salbi voiced intense worry that the global recession would compromise progress as the donor community looks inward first. “Donations are down. Conflict is increasing. I worry about those on the edge—communities and states. It is a life or death situation there, where it’s a lifestyle change here.” Echoing these thoughts, Disney urged investment in vulnerable communities worldwide, “We have enough. We have more than enough, all of us.”

Noting President Obama’s upcoming speech in Cairo the following day, one member of the press queried if this speech, touted as an effort to reach out to the Muslim world, could be seen as an encouraging sign that the U.S. was not turning inward but looking outward, focused on combating conflict, poverty and restrictions on women’s rights in a region of turmoil and crisis. Salbi returned that she was excited about the speech, and noted the encouraging signs she has witnessed in recent weeks of travel throughout the Middle East: “Everyone [in the region] is eager about the speech. I hope it will shift our discussion of women from the margins into the center of the debate. I look forward to hearing his message to government and his message to the grassroots.” Salbi delivered additional analysis and commentary on the Cairo speech on CNN Newsroom with Kyra Phillips from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, June 04, 2009, focusing particularly on what the speech meant for women of the Muslim world.

For more information on the discussion, Women for Women International or Zainab Salbi’s Cairo speech analysis and commentary, contact Lyric Thompson at lthompson@womenforwomen.org or 1 202 449 9440.

In the Words of Sweeta Noori: An Afghan Women's Plea
My life has not been particularly long—I’m only 36—but already I have been a daughter, a mother, a leader, a war-survivor and three-times a refugee. As an Afghan woman I look back on my time on this earth and already I can see how much has changed for Afghanistan, even in so short a time. As the Obama Administration looks to the future and considers how it will define itself and its policy in the region, I give pause to reflect on the past 36 years of a nation perennially and tragically embroiled in conflict and instability. Looking back, I see that for the women of Afghanistan, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The time has come to invest fully and continually in the women of Afghanistan, prioritizing their rights, recognizing their role in the economy and society, and developing their potential as agents of peace and stability. Development in Afghanistan should not just serve as a justification for military activity; it should be expanded, empowered, and strategic, including and leveraging women across the board.

This has never been the case for as long as I can remember. I was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1973, into a family and an Afghanistan in which women’s education was possible. It was the same Graduation Party Shot year that former Prime Minister Mohammed Daoud Khan, a man whose progressive politics and pursuit of modernity inspired him to encourage women’s education and protect their human rights, established a republic and became the first president of Afghanistan. My mother was a woman of the times: she was a doctor and a professor who for seven years served as the chairperson for the Kabul Institute of Medicine. My father, a police general in the Afghan army, was supportive of us as we sought education and careers.

Following in my mother’s footsteps, I adored school and applied myself so that I might also become a doctor one day. But as I have seen so many times in the history of my country, nothing was certain, especially for women. New political currents would render old ideas obsolete; new regimes would fight for and consolidate power, leaving Afghans to adapt and adjust to a new social landscape once again.

Both my earliest and my most recent memories of Afghanistan are of foreign soldiers. The guns Americans carry today give my stomach the same twinge of dread as they did when I was a little girl staring up at Soviet weapons. The Soviet era was one of occupation and the breeding of revolution.

The Mujahidin insurgency brought the end of Soviet rule and a new and uncharted future for Afghanistan. When the Soviet troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, I remember the celebrations of a people who thought the rise of the Mujahidin meant peace. But the culture of violence that was established at the front traveled with the fighters as they captured Kabul. There was always the staccato of gunfire and explosions. Mountain warriors became city warlords battling for turf in close quarters where civilians bore the brunt of the violence. People were terrified to leave their homes even as they were obliged to stand in line for hours to receive meager food rations. It was a time of desperation.

In 1992 the political became even more personal—I was forced to halt my medical studies in my third year, as women’s participation in the public sphere and the economy were expressly forbidden. I said goodbye to medicine and hello to new and ill-fitting clothes. It was mandated that women moving outside the home had to wear the shalwar (long pants worn under the skirt) and chadar (long scarf). Our wardrobes were as unprepared as we were-- my mother and I had no such dress on hand, so we were at first forced to fashion them out of household drapes and other fabrics. With the rest of our sisters, we adapted to a new reality.

Over time my family became exhausted by constant violence and shooting. We fled to Rawal, Pakistan in 1992, leaving behind all of our possessions, even my beloved pen collection and cherished childhood doll. It would be four years before I could return home, and when I did I would find nothing as I remembered it. This was my first refugee experience. In time, I would have to flee to Pakistan a second time, and ultimately, to the United States.

1996 was the year of my first return to Afghanistan. It was also the year of the Taliban. They captured Kabul after sweeping through southern Afghanistan, touting themselves as peacemakers and providing a welcomed relief from the violent years under the Mujahedeen rule. Billed as a return to core Islamic principles, the Taliban regime implemented a heavily restrictive, fundamentalist, and patriarchal interpretation of Islam that rendered Afghan women far less free and empowered than before. Modernity was spurned, progress shunned. Access to education remained out of reach for me and my Afghan sisters; women were not allowed to leave the house by themselves and were relegated to the position of animals, forced to walk behind, rather than next to, our husbands. I withdrew inside the home, where I did not wear the burqa and could do as I pleased. Inside the relative security of my own home, I taught English to other women, a crime and a heresy at that time but a personal duty to my sisters and my sole source of stimulation.

On September 11th, 2001, two towers fell halfway around the world, and within three months so too did the Taliban to the invading United States and allied forces in Afghanistan. The terrorist attacks of September 11th were shocking to my family and fellow Afghan citizens. We prepared once again for invasion. The Americans came. The Taliban scattered. There was talk of democracy and free elections, of a new beginning. Again nothing was certain. But there was hope.

I poured myself into reconstruction. I served as an assistant for the Chair of the Loya Jirga Commission, which helped to form the interim administration and new constitution for Afghanistan. I have continued to work for the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan ever since. In my current role as Country Director for Women for Women International- Afghanistan, I direct programs that have helped more than 35,000 women since 2002 by providing direct financial assistance, rights education, vocational skills training, and micro credit loans. In July 2004, I launched one of the country’s first micro-credit lending programs targeting women, which has since disbursed over $11 million to approximately 47,500 women while maintaining a 95% repayment rate.

There is no denying that this is progress. But with every gain enormous obstacles persist. We have 25% women in parliament but conservative extremists retaliate, threatening the brave women who do seek leadership. We are building bridges and schools every day but women are not safe enough to walk across alone, nor are girls sure that they will not be attacked if they dare to fill the schools.

In my discussions with Afghan women, security continues to be a primary concern, in addition to limited access to resources. In our 2009 Afghanistan Report, Women for Women International found that women think the government should address the security situation first (66%), followed by economic and political problems (20%) and access to social services, such as healthcare and education (9%). These are real challenges in Afghanistan, and the women are calling for their resolution. They’re talking about—and voting for—peace, development and education.

I am reminded each day how these women’s empowerment is critical to the survival of our nation. Women work tirelessly to feed and clothe their families, to educate girl and boy children, to build and maintain peaceful communities. And they’re optimistic despite the greatest of odds. In fact, our report found that over 80% of women polled are optimistic for the future of Afghanistan, which tells me that investing in women makes everything possible, even in a country without much cause for hope left. The important thing is to cultivate this optimism, to invest in women and in peace so that this fledgling trust is not squandered. The recent move to consider legislation that would restrict the movement, development and human rights of Shia women is a worrying indication that we are not heading in this direction. We must protect and empower the women of Afghanistan. We must stop using their rights and status as a political mechanism that can be dangled and withdrawn at whim.

Sweeta Noori is the Country Director of the Afghanistan chapter of international humanitarian and development assistance nonprofit organization Women for Women International. Born in Kabul in 1973, Noori has survived many regime changes and social shifts in her homeland, from the Soviet occupation, to the mujahidin, to the Taliban, to today’s fledgling democracy. In her work as Country Director of Women for Women International-Afghanistan (2002-present), she has assisted over 20,000 women in her country with financial assistance, rights education, and vocational skill straining. She was instrumental in launching one of Afghanistan’s first microcredit lending programs targeted to women, which has disbursed over $11 million to approximately 47,500 women, maintaining a 95% repayment rate.

For more information about Sweeta’s work, visit www.womenforwomen.org or contact Lyric Thompson at lthompson@womenforwomen.org or 202.449.9440.

May 18th - Women for Women International-Afghanistan Country Director Sweeta Noori returns from Afghanistan, urges members of Congress to support Afghan women

Washington DC —Arriving in Washington following a month-long tour of Afghanistan, Women for Women International’s Afghanistan Country Director Sweeta Noori testified on Capitol Hill last week, urging Members of Congress not to forget Afghan women as they shape U.S. policy in the region.

Calling for investment in women’s rights, education and economic empowerment, Noori briefed Members of Congress, their staff, media and the general public on the current situation of Afghan women, which she characterized as dismal. In a panel hosted by the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s discussion forum, “Afghanistan: A Road Map for Progress,” Noori posited that for the vast majority of women in Afghanistan, there has been no progress and no justice for gender-based discrimination and violence, despite oft-touted improvements at the top.
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“There are two Afghanistans,” she explained, “The United Nations, U.S., and the international community see one Afghanistan that is progressing and developing. Yet there is another Afghanistan that the international community does not see. It is violent, unstable, and in many ways very scary for women.”

Improvements for elite women in Kabul and major cities, where there is a quota for 25% women in Parliament and women move more freely outside the home, does not constitute progress for the majority of Afghan women, who live in rural areas and are daily subjected to domestic violence and astoundingly high maternal mortality rates.

In fact, Noori said, since the US invasion and the fall of the Taliban, domestic violence has increased, and women are no further along in their ability to make decisions in their homes or communities.

Throughout her month-long journey throughout Afghanistan, Noori met with various women who are themselves victims of domestic violence and remain excluded from the public sphere, without access to employment, education, or adequate healthcare. Out of desperation, Noori told the CPC, many of these women resort to self-immolation, or burning themselves in protest. Noori also stressed the dire consequences counter-narcotic poppy-eradication programs pose for women as farmers with no alternative means of income resort to archaic traditions, selling their daughters in forced and child marriage to drug lords in order to repay their debts.

Sweeta Noori joins a long line of other distinguished panelists in the six-part discussion series on Afghanistan, including Clare Lockhart of the Institute for State Effectiveness; General Paul Eaton, commander of Iraq’s security forces; Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell’s former chief of staff; and Hekmat Karzai, director of Kabul’s Peace and Security Centre. Noori’s recommendations were incorporated along with other panelist testimony in a letter from CPC Co-chair Congressman Raul Grijalva and CPC member Congressman Michael Honda to fellow Members and the White House calling for increased civilian development funding and attention to women’s issues in Afghanistan.

Noori’s testimony comes on the heels of the release of Women for Women International’s 2009 Afghanistan Report, part of the organization’s Stronger Women, Stronger Nations report series, which seeks to amplify the voices of grassroots women in conversations regarding Afghanistan’s future as a nation. Based on the survey of 1,500 women in Afghanistan, the organization found that Afghan women are well-informed about the needs of their communities and their country, and call for increased security as well as economic and political stability. 66% of women polled gave security the highest priority, followed by economic and political problems. When asked about their biggest day-to-day problems, 41% responded with a lack of important basic commodities, and 26% indicated their primary need was for sufficient employment opportunities.

Sweeta Noori, who has returned to Washington D.C. indefinitely due to security concerns, is available for comment on the status of Afghanistan and Afghan women as documented through her most recent field visit. For further information, contact Lyric Thompson at lthompson@womenforwomen.org or 202.449.9440.
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Sweeta Noori is the Country Director of the Afghanistan chapter of international humanitarian and development assistance nonprofit organization Women for Women International. In her work as Country Director of Women for Women International-Afghanistan (2002-present), she has assisted over 20,000 women in her country with financial assistance, rights education, and vocational skills training. She was instrumental in launching one of Afghanistan’s first microcredit lending programs targeted to women, which has disbursed over $11 million to approximately 47,500 women, maintaining a repayment rate of over 90%. Women for Women International is a global humanitarian and development assistance organization helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives, families and communities, thereby contributing to stronger civil societies.

April 29th - Statement from Zainab Salbi, CEO, Women for Women International on the Shiite Personal Status Law of Afghanistan.

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Throughout Afghanistan's history, negotiations over women's status and rights in Afghan society have occurred largely in the context of political struggles to take power or to hold on to power. We can see from President Karzai's recent authorization of the Shiite Personal Status Law--a move pleasing to a conservative minority with whom he was unpopular--that for women, very little has changed about this tradition in Afghanistan.

The law is currently under review by the state's Ministry of Justice, but
remains a worrying precedent and a palpable threat to the advancement of gender equality and justice in Afghanistan. If upheld, the measure will subject women of the Shia minority to restricted movement, mandatory marital sex, limited ability to seek work, pursue an education or visit the doctor without their husbands' permission and special regulation on matters like inheritance.

Women's rights in Afghanistan must be preserved and protected. No action should be taken that further exaggerates the problem Women for Women International Afghanistan Country Director Sweeta Noori calls the "two Afghanistans": one in Kabul where women's rights are preserved as women gain more access to social, economic and political opportunities, and another where socially excluded and rural women are subject to a different set of rights and laws that restrict their socioeconomic development and often endanger their lives and violate their human rights.

Issues like forced marriage, self-immolation and honor crimes are still very real issues in this Afghanistan, and they threaten not only individual women but the ability of the nation as a whole to achieve stability, security and development, all of which are intimately interlinked.

Over 16 years working with women survivors of war has taught me that women's wellbeing is the bellwether of society. Restrictions on women's mobility and personal autonomy are detrimental not just at the household and community levels, but to a peaceful and stable Afghanistan as well. The
quality of life of a nation's women correlates directly with how the society fares overall--where women suffer, it is only a matter of time before entire communities are at risk. When women thrive across all sectors of society--including education and the economy--all of society benefits.

Any blueprint for sustainable peace risks failure without united, local- and national- level efforts to enact gender-equitable policies that dismantle--not construct--obstacles preventing women's full participation in society. In a recent survey of 1500 Afghan women, Women for Women
International found that the central government is believed to be more engaged on women's issues than local leadership. If the national government as a model rolls back women's rights, this hard-fought trust in central government will be squandered. This would represent a real misstep in the
nation's progress toward development of a healthy democracy.

The women of Afghanistan need access to economic opportunities, access to education in all levels and access to physical and psychosocial health services, without having to seek permission first. They need to exercise their rights without threat of retaliation. They need to be able to articulate their needs, both as individuals and as equal partners in decisions about the future of their society. There can not be a prosperous, strong, economically healthy and democratic Afghanistan without having strong women in the nation who are fully part of shaping the society.

By their own accounts, if Afghan women can participate shoulder to shoulder with men in rebuilding their country, all of society will benefit. But for this to happen, all Afghan women must be able to exercise their human rights, regardless of religious or political affiliation.

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