Government of Canada Recognizes Canadian Grassroots Efforts with Support for Afghan Women and Girls

March 6, 2008

OTTAWA - The Honourable Beverley J. Oda, Minister of International Cooperation, announced today that the Government of Canada is taking new action to reduce discrimination against women and children in Afghanistan and encourage their participation in Afghan society.

Minister Oda announced two initiatives at an event hosted by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), on the occasion of International Women's Week, to recognize the efforts of Canadian organizations and individuals that are helping improve the lives of Afghan women and girls.

"Women in Afghanistan suffered tremendous hardship under the Taliban regime. They lost the right to a formal education, to being part of the workforce and to participating in political life," said Minister Oda. "Canada is proud to help Afghan women overcome this legacy and is honoured to highlight some of the important work being done by Canadians, such as Alaina Podmorow, to help improve the lives of Afghan women and girls."

As part of today's announcement, the Government will provide $5 million to the Responsive Fund for the Advancement of Women, a Canadian International Development Agency fund to support quick-impact projects aimed at reducing discrimination against women and encourage their participation in Afghan society. The new capacity that this funding provides will help address the recommendation in the report of the Independent Panel on Canada's role in Afghanistan for "locally managed, quick action projects that bring immediate improvement to everyday life for Afghans."

The Government will also provide $500,000 to the Excel-rate Education initiative being undertaken by the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, (CW4WA) a volunteer network in Canada committed to supporting the empowerment of Afghan women and girls. This project will establish a teacher-training program, through local partners, to improve education for Afghan girls in Kabul Province. The funding will permit the training of 720 Afghan teachers, including 364 female teachers.

In addition, CIDA will match, dollar for dollar, funds raised by CW4WA, and their affiliated youth organization, Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan, to bring the number of female teachers trained to 500.

Two years ago, Miss Podmorow, an 11-year old girl from Okanagan, B.C., founded the organization called Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan (LW4LW). This group is an extension of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. Through fundraising efforts, LW4LW was able to pay for the salaries of thirty Afghan schoolteachers for one year, at a cost of $750 per teacher. In addition to raising funds, Miss Podmorow's organization is committed to raising awareness among North American girls and their parents about the issues faced by girls in Afghanistan.

Today's announcement is part of Canada's overall $1.3 billion contribution to development in Afghanistan over 10 years which is aimed at strengthening governance, security and development in the country.

For more information on Canada's programming in Afghanistan, please refer to CIDA's website.

Information:
Joanna Bailey
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of International Cooperation
Telephone: 819-953-6238

Media Relations Office
Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
Telephone: 819-953-6534
E-mail: info@acdi-cida.gc.ca

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Backgrounder

Supporting Afghan Women and Girls

After experiencing decades of conflict and discrimination, Afghan women are working hard to assume new roles and responsibilities in their society.

Under the Taliban regime, women were denied access to the workplace, school, political life, and even health care. Today, Afghan women represent 25 percent of the democratically elected National Assembly, more than two million girls are enrolled in school, and the number of Afghan mothers who have access to a skilled childbirth worker has almost quadrupled since 2002.

While these achievements represent important milestones, Afghan women continue to be among the most disadvantaged in the world, especially in measures of health, poverty, exposure to violence, deprivation of rights to property and/or forced marriage, and education and literacy.

In an effort to help address such gaps, Minister Oda announced on March 6, 2008, that Canada will contribute $5 million towards the Responsive Fund for the Advancement of Women and$500,000 to Excel-rate Education, an Afghan teacher training initiative.

Responsive Fund for the Advancement of Women

The creation of the Responsive Fund for the Advancement of Women will equip CIDA with a local, field-managed, quick-response fund that will help reduce discrimination against women and girls and encourage their participation in Afghan society. The purpose is to support initiatives implemented by Afghan organizations that will enable them to strengthen, accelerate and influence programming and policies that advance women's rights in three primary areas - economic empowerment, access to education, and the legal protection of women's rights.

The anticipated impact of the project will be greater and more equal participation of women and girls in all aspects of life through reduced discrimination, greater development of their human capital, and increased leadership on their part.

Excel-rate Education: Afghan Teacher Training

The Government of Canada is contributing $500,000 to the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WA), who will establish a teacher-training program through local partners (the Afghan Women's Resource Centre and Arya Training Institute),. This initiative will train 720 Afghan teachers (half of which will be women) with a goal to helping improve access to quality education for girls in Kabul Province.

Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan is a volunteer-based organization that was founded in 1996. The group began as a small volunteer network of women in Canada committed to supporting the empowerment of Afghan women and girls, and has grown to fourteen chapters across the country.

Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan is an extension of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. Founded two years ago, by 11-year old Alaina Podmorow in Okanagan, B.C., the organization works to find ways to help young women in Afghanistan.

Through their fundraising efforts, Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan was able to pay for the salaries of thirty female schoolteachers for one year, at a cost of $750 per teacher. In addition to raising funds, Miss Podmorow's organization is committed to raising awareness among North American girls and their parents of the issues faced by girls in Afghanistan.

The Government of Canada recognizes the central role that women play in achieving sustainable development. The Government of Canada, through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), addresses the needs of women by supporting projects that improve maternal and infant health, education, the protection of women's rights, as well as access to the labour market and political life.

Other examples of CIDA-supported projects that assist Afghan women and girls include:

• The Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA) which, to date, has provided more than 418,000 Afghans - more than 2/3 of whom are women - with small loans and savings services to help them improve their livelihoods.
• The Aga Khan Foundation's Girls' Education Support Program which provides increased access to quality learning opportunities and promotes secure and supportive learning environments for girls.
• An International Criminal Defence Attorneys Association initiative which provides legal aid services to Afghanistan's most vulnerable groups, including women.
• A Rights and Democracy initiative that promotes legal and policy reforms to improve the status of women.
• UNICEF projects to help address gaps in maternal health services in the southern region of Afghanistan.
• A CARE project that responds to the needs of the most vulnerable widows in Kabul.