Women for Afghan Women (WAW)

Women for Afghan Women (WAW) is an organization of Afghan and non-Afghan women from the New York area who are committed to ensuring the human rights of Afghan women.

WAW promotes the agency of local Afghan women through the creation of safe forums where Afghan women can network, develop programs to meet their specific needs, and participate in human rights advocacy in the international sphere.

Activities

WAW raises funds for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, particularly schools and health facilities for women and children. WAW supports the development of vocational training programs for women in Afghanistan who have been denied access to education and professional training. WAW advocates for the representation of women in all areas of life in Afghanistan: political, social, cultural and economic.

Programs

1. Community Outreach: Itihad-e-Zan (Community Of Women)

The community outreach program aims to empower Afghan women to fight for their rights as women, as Americans and as Muslims. It will include:

• Quarterly cultural empowerment events where Afghan women scholars, activists, artists, and other Afghan women are showcased and celebrated.
• English classes for Afghan women, which will help them emerge from the home and participate in life in America.
• Classes to introduce Afghan/American children to their culture.
• A safe environment where Afghan women can gather for mutual support.
• A future campaign to focus on education and college readiness of Afghan girls.
• Counseling for domestic problems.

2. Human Rights Advocacy:

• To advocate for the full inclusion of women in all aspects of Afghan life.
• To keep alive and vibrant the discourse of human rights for women in an Islamic context.
• To educate the broad public about the situation in Afghanistan.
• To remain committed to a fundamental human rights ethic, but beyond that, to remain open enough to contain the myriad voices that form the dialogue and debate.
• Bringing Islam into human rights and feminist contexts and the message of fundamental human rights into the Afghan community.

3. Humanitarian Assistance: Afghan Women’s Fund
WAW makes a commitment to keep its own overhead to a minimum in order to fundraise for humanitarian relief and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan and in the refugee camps, particularly those that embrace women and children, it enables women in Afghanistan to become self-suficient through education, vocational training and the possibility to earn their own living. Fahima Vorgetts, a board member of WAW and the director of our Afghan Women’s Fund, makes periodic trips to Afghanistan taking with her contributions of funds, computers, sewing machines, medical equipment etc. to distribute among our projects. Since April 2001, Women for Afghan Women has raised and distributed over $200,000 in aid to various women-led NGOs, schools, and women and children in Afghanistan.

References

• http://www.womenforafghanwomen.org/