With a per capita income of $175 to $220, Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world. The first democratic elections held on October 9, 2004, marked an important effort to restore stability to a country plagued by several decades of war, poverty and oppressive, often violent, political rule. While reliable statistics on casualties of war are not available, the conflicts generated more than 4.5 million refugees and internally displaced persons. Some 3.5 million refugees have been resettled since 2002. Lack of security and limited education and economic opportunities remain some of the major challenges for women as they struggle for a voice in the country’s post-Taliban era reconstruction process.
Staff profile: 82 members; all are Afghan.
- More than 6,472 women received program services in 2005, with a total of 9,262 women served in 16 communities since 2002.
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Launched microcredit lending program in July 2004 and has loaned a total of $2,727,000 to 7,555 women.
- Expanded program to reach 700 women in rural provinces of Wardak, Parwan, Kapisa, Mazar-i-Sharif and Balkh.
- Teamed up with Afghanistan Ministry of Women’s Affairs to provide voter registration for 2,000 women in the October 2004 elections.
- Provided literacy training for 2,690 women since 2002.
- Offered basic health and traditional birth attendant training for
500 women in 2005.
- Current job skills trainings include tailoring, stone cutting, korshnial, embroidery, silver work, shoe making, artificial flower design, jam production, bakery, and bag-making.
Participant profile: In 2005 our Afghan participants...
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