The US Agency for International Development announced a $92 million project to improve the higher education system in Afghanistan last week.
Afghanistan Celebrates 95th Anniversary of Independence
President Hamid Karzai and candidates Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai attended a special ceremony to commemorate the day. US Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement in honor of the celebration.
Supporting the Advancement of Women in Afghanistan
Afghan women have come a long way over the last decade. We have made significant achievements, many of which would have not been possible without the generous support of the international community, especially the United States.
Election Process Agreement Creates Hope for Some in Afghanistan
Just when the success of the election process seemed to be in doubt, US Secretary of State John Kerry went to Afghanistan to once again play a mediator’s role, meeting with the two presidential candidates and with outgoing president Hamid Karzai to help broker a solution to the disputed election process.
High Turnout in Afghanistan’s Presidential Runoff Election
Over seven million Afghans, or 58 percent of the population, successfully voted in the runoff presidential election on Saturday, despite several attacks from the Taliban at polling centers.
Women of Afghanistan Push Equality on the Eve of Runoff Presidential Election
Afghan women’s groups Thursday held a press conference announcing that both of the presidential front-runners had signed a six-point petition for women’s rights.
US Support of Afghanistan Will Continue Even As Troops Drawdown
The remaining troops will help train and advise Afghan security forces, as well as assist in counter-terrorism operations.
We Must Keep the Momentum Strong for Women and Girls’ Education in Afghanistan
Afghan girls are once again attending school, at the primary secondary, and university levels, and they are proving that if given opportunities, they can thrive.
Why the 2014 Afghanistan Election is Bringing Hope Back to Afghan Women
We made it. We were able to show to the world that our security forces are robust enough to protect our infant democracy and our people remain worthy of international support.
Afghanistan May Hold Runoff Presidential Election
Preliminary results for Afghanistan’s recent presidential election were released on Saturday, showing that former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former Finance Minister and World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai are the top contenders.
Afghanistan Heads to the Polls Tomorrow
Afghanistan will hold presidential and provincial council elections tomorrow. The elections represent a pivotal moment in the history of Afghanistan, which will conduct its first democratic transition of presidential power once the vote is complete. There has been growing excitement in Afghanistan leading up to the elections. The Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) reported a […]
13,000 Women Will Work to Secure Polling Centers on Afghanistan’s Election Day
The Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoIA) announced this week that it has recruited 13,000 women to work on security procedures at polling centers for the upcoming April 5 presidential election day. There was some concern last summer that there would not be enough women security officers to work at the polling stations set aside […]
Female Afghan Parliamentarian Speaks Out About Women’s Progress in Afghanistan
Fawzia Koofi, a female member of the Afghan parliament, published an open letter this week to American women, urging them to continue standing shoulder-to-shoulder with women in Afghanistan. Koofi’s letter, entitled “A Letter to My American Sisters,” dispels the media myth that women’s lives have not improved since the fall of the Taliban regime in […]
Presidential Candidates Begin Campaigns for Afghanistan’s April Election
Candidates for Afghanistan’s upcoming April election kicked off their presidential campaigns on Sunday. According to TOLO News, many of the 11 candidates have focused on similar, broad issues so far, including security, human rights, women’s participation in government, corruption, and economic development. Activists and members of Afghanistan’s parliament pointed out the lack of specific goals […]
Mixed Results for Afghanistan’s Anti-Violence Against Women Law
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released their annual report on violence against women in Afghanistan yesterday, revealing mixed results of the country’s Elimination of Violence against Women Law. “A Way to Go: An Update on Implementation of the Law on […]
US and Afghanistan Agree on Language for Bilateral Security Agreement
The United States and Afghanistan have agreed on the final language of a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) that will help determine the role of the U.S. forces in Afghanistan post-2014. The agreement is now being considered by the Loya Jirga, a council composed of 2500 members including Afghan political, community, business, youth and non-profit organization […]
US Leaders Speak Out on Role of Women in Afghanistan’s Transition
Secretary of State John Kerry, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former First Lady Laura Bush called for increased support for Afghan women during the “Advancing Afghan Women: Promoting Peace and Progress in Afghanistan” symposium held in Washington, DC last week. The US leaders asserted that women must be a strong part of Afghanistan’s […]
Registration to Run in Afghanistan Elections Closed This Week
Registration wrapped up on October 6 for both the Afghanistan presidential and provincial council elections. Twenty-seven candidates have registered for the presidential race, and 2,327 candidates registered to run for the provincial council, including 240 women. Every one of the country’s 34 provinces has one or more women candidates running in that election. Of the […]
Afghanistan Holds First Social Media Summit
Afghanistan held its first social media summit this week in Kabul, the first in a three-part project. The summit – entitled “Paiwand,” meaning “connection” in Dari – was organized by local digital media agency Impassion Afghanistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Themed “Social Media for Social Good,” the summit brought together over 200 […]
New Campaign Encourages Women to Participate in Afghanistan’s Next Election
A new campaign in Afghanistan urges women to vote – specifically, for candidates that support their rights and equality.