DRAFT
Afghanistan National Human Development Report
Gender Disparities as a Challenge to Human Development
“Never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves1.”
“Tu harakat ko, kay man barakat kunam.”
January 2004
1
The Holy Quran, Verse 11, Surah 13, Al Rad, or The Thunder.
1
DRAFT
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
List of acronyms
Introduction
Context of gender relations and human development
Analysis of indicators according to thematic priorities
Rural women
Maternal mortality
Education
Employment
Justice
Public voice
Policy recommendations
Annex 1
Annex 1
Annex 3
Annex 4
Bibiography
Millenium Development Indicators
Glossary
Cross-regional indicator comparisons
2
DRAFT
List of Acronyms
DOTS
PPP
GNI2
GNI per capita
GDP
GDP per capita
WHO
ODA
OECD
TFR
IMR
IAP
GDI
UN
PRT
DDR
Directly observed treatment, short course
Purchasing price parity
Gross National Income
Gross national income per capita
Gross national product
Gross national product per capita
World Health Organization
Overseas Development Assistance
Organization of Economic Cooperation and
Development
Total fertility rate
Infant mortality rate
Islamic Awareness Program
Gender Development Index
United Nations
Provincial Reconstruction Team
Demobilization, Disarmament, and
Reintegration
MISFA
2
GNI, GNI per capita, GDP growth, and GDP per capita growth are estimated by World Bank staff based
on national accounts data collected by Bank staff during economic missions or reported by national
statistical offices to other international organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development, World Development Indicators, 2003, section 1.1, p. 17.
3
DRAFT
Executive Summary
4
DRAFT
I. Introduction
A friend was once applying to an elite graduate school and the topic of the essay was
‘What was the most difficult thing you’ve ever done?”. Her essay was titled ‘Being an
Afghan woman3’. One does not have to be media hound to have at least heard of the
trauma and indignities visited upon the women of Afghanistan, not to mention the
‘normal’ suffering and degradation of simply living in Afghanistan over the last 25 years.
The purpose of this paper is not to review the historical details of the Afghan civil wars
and natural disasters of the last two decades, but rather to explore the link between the
most severe case of gender inequity and the consequent stunting of human development
in the one of the most under-developed nations of the world.
While it is important to note that the traditional dichotomy of the public and private
spheres4 in Afghan life has always had a limiting effect on women’s activities, the period
of Taleban control was perhaps the most draconian manifestation of a truly phenomenal
repression of women, particularly in the urban areas. Reports, photos, and films from
that time abound with varying levels of accuracy describing the systematic discrimination
against women, but none can really do justice to the reality of what the women
experienced. As post-mortem analysts, we can only wonder at the coping mechanisms
developed and the wounds yet to close from the survivors of that period.
From the dry and objective tone of official UN reports5 to the anger of journalists and
feminists shouting ‘gender apartheid’, one thing is clear: the world failed Afghan women
for six solid years, and this neglect has direct outcomes in the abysmal human
development index of the country, as well as in shaping subsequent international events
and policy. Extreme caution should be taken not to make the same mistake twice.
A major constraint to this report is the dearth of accurate data available on Afghan
women. Unfortunately, this is not only the product of the long war, which prevented the
usual surveys and censuses that provide data for other countries, but it is also partly due
to the lack of gender disaggregated data collection by the various international agencies
and donors that were active in Afghanistan during the war. Needless to say, the postCommunist local authorities did not assist in their regressive attitudes towards women’s
contributions to the economy and social sphere.
Finally, what is the solution? Progress for women in Afghanistan is progress for all
Afghan citizens. Human development cannot proceed without gender equity. The power
of Islam to bring equity and justice between the genders cannot be underestimated. To
harness this energy, Islam has to be readily available to the masses, both men and
women, in its most unadulterated form, that of the text of the Holy Quran translated into
the local languages. The Holy Quran has codified human development from the most
3
Personal conversation, Taies Nezam, 1993.
Pamela Hunte, …….., …p. .
5
Discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan: Report of the Secretary-General, United
National Economic and Social Council, January 28, 2002, E/CN.6/2002/5.
4
5
DRAFT
basic tenets of personal hygiene to the most lofty realms of social protection and gender
equality. The key to improving human development in Afghanistan is to convince the
international community to invest in getting the true words of the Holy Quran out to
every Afghan man, woman, and child.
Context of gender relations and human development
What is human development? What is gender? How are the two related? Gender is the
social construct of biology, or the two sexes, and therefore should include consideration
of men, as well as the more obvious women, in analyses and interventions. In the case of
Afghanistan, special weight is given to the women and girls because of the politicoeconomic oppression that they have suffered, which has retarded their progress radically.
Human development is the right of every man, woman and child to reach his or her full
potential physically, mentally, and intellectually. Sectorally, human development can be
divided into health, education, and social protection, the latter which includes old-age
security and labor force issues. For a nation, human development is a necessary
component of economic growth. The evidence base to prove that gender equity is an
essential ingredient of human development is irrefutable.6
The context of gender relations in Afghanistan must be viewed through the prism of
traditional Afghan culture, which is intensely patriarchal. It must be recognized that
primary social unit in Afghanistan is the family, extending to kin group, and tribe. Most
Afghan women do not want to be marginalized from their family unit, and the integrity of
the family must be respected, particularly when targeting specific groups for assistance,
especially women. Afghan culture is based on the code of honor, which is largely
manifested in the behavior of one’s ‘women’. The foundation of gender roles is the
division of space into the public/community (men’s) space and the private/domestic
(women’s) space, with corresponding roles and responsibilities for each7. Many men and
women, particularly in the rural areas, are satisfied with this arrangement in relation to
one another. What is not acceptable to them are their current social conditions, which are
related directly to human development. Basic needs for food, shelter, health and
education are not being met, and the demand for these necessities transcend gender roles.
Deprivation of basic human needs affects ALL -- men, women, and children. Two
important developments challenge these traditional gender roles, beyond engendered
interventions by internal and external actors, and will serve as critical catalysts for
change.
a) the inevitable advent of globalization with the influx of large amounts of aid and
opening up of markets and media forces Afghanistan to join the international
community, so it is to be expected that these traditional gender roles will change.
b) decades of conflict have modified traditional gender roles as women have been
forced to take on new roles as heads of household through death, displacement, and
participation in combat of their customary male providers. These women have
6
7
The World Bank, Engendering Development, 2003.
Ibid., Hunte.
6
DRAFT
managed lands, properties, agricultural activities and families. To see Afghan women
as only victims grossly underestimates their growth and contributions.
The gender development index (GDI) of 19958 ranked Afghanistan at 170 out of 174
reported countries. It this worth noting that this ranking was prior to the Taleban’s
retrogressive implementation of officially sanctioned discrimination against women,
prohibiting their nascent access to health and education services. A GDI calculation has
not been completed since then, but it doesn’t take an econometrician to see how bleak the
numbers would be.
One dimension of human development that is cross-cutting for both genders in
Afghanistan is the period of adolescence. Even in the annals of global human
development, there has been limited attention paid to these most critical formative years
of a person’s life, and the literature on lessons learned is scant. Adolescence in
Afghanistan is particularly a sensitive stage since it is the period of time when gender
disparities are enforced the most strongly as children enter puberty, and when
sensitization to gender roles and restrictions are the greatest. As policy advocates, we
owe it to the youth of Afghanistan and subsequent future generations to identify the
special needs of adolescents in Afghanistan and to close this gap in programming9.
Furthermore, human development is more than the early interventions of immunizing
infants and primary school enrollment – what do we owe these beneficiaries 10 years
down the line? What are their expectations for higher education? Employment? Old-age
security? Engendered analysis of Afghan youth is ripe for study.
Section 1: Analysis of indicators according to thematic priorities
 Rural women –
The majority of Afghans, up to 80%, are illiterate and live in the rural areas of
Afghanistan, and of these rural inhabitants, Afghan women constitute at least 50%, if not
more. Thus the majority of Afghan women are rural. This has serious implications for
how gender is mainstreamed into rural and agricultural projects, as well as local
governance structures, particularly since most needs assessments have not sought the
views of rural women (and men), and thus their voices have not been heard. This
silenced majority of the population cannot be overlooked both in terms of policy and
practice, since historically, access to the most basic social services for these people has
been limited. The burden of labor that falls on these women is substantial since it can
encompass agriculture, child-rearing, livestock, traditional crafts (as source of income), in
addition to care of the family. The fundamental causes of rural women’s lack of access
to basic needs such as water, land, credit, training, and extension services must be taken
into consideration in project planning and delivery.
United Nations Human Development Report, 1995 (the first year of GDI introduction – subsequent
reports did not include Afghanistan due to lack of data).
9
Azerbajiani-Moghaddam, “Report of the European Community Rapid Reaction Mechanism Assessment
Mission, Afghanistan Gender Guidelines”, April 2002, p. 23.
8
7
DRAFT
Next, it is important to understand that the interconnections between women’s and men’s
roles are stronger in the rural areas than it is in the cities due to the symbiosis of their
labors10. For example, in rural areas the division of tasks related to collecting the wool
necessary for carpet-weaving is shared between men and women. In this regard, urban
gender roles are much more circumscribed than rural male/female relationships.
According to Dupree, this mutual understanding of each other’s interdependence in rural
areas is social capital that is missing from the urban areas.
Prior to the war, there is evidence that the women in rural areas knew about spacing
children, even if they did have large families, so the birth rate was relatively stable at
approximately 9 per woman, but the war and subsequent displacement destabilized this
practice and knowledge among rural women, and birth rates in the refugee camps
soared11. On the other hand, life in the refugee camps did teach rural Afghan women to
expect and demand health services, particularly pre- and post-natal care, which led to
higher survival rates for their children.
Rural development cannot proceed without input from women, both rural women
beneficiaries, and urban women workers, who have access to resources. This poses a
dilemma for development workers since most urban women’s families do not relish the
prospect of long-distance travel for their women.
 Maternal mortality
Globally, life expectancy has increased for both sexes in all regions, but female morbidity
and mortality rates are sometimes higher than male rates in poor countries, in spite of the
natural biological advantage that women have to outlive men. Typically, in the
developed world, women tend to outlive men by four to eight years on average, while in
poor countries the difference is more tapered – about two to three years, due to the gender
disparities being greater among the poor.12 What is most striking about Afghanistan is
that the male:female life expectancy ratio is 1:1(43 years for each, among the lowest in
the world), which reflects an abnormally high morbidity and mortality rate for women.
The principal cause for this statistical anomaly is the astronomical maternal mortality rate
for Afghan women.
The key issues relating to poor health for Afghan women are disparities in intrahousehold distribution of food, selective feeding and care of boy children, which comes
from the cultural preference for boys and its attendant baggage that leads to low
prioritization of girls and women’s health needs in the family unit. This female
disadvantage in access to health care is extended into adolescence and the reproductive
years. There is a saying in Afghanistan that is a play on the words, ‘woman’ and
‘beating’:
“Zan, bezan.
Agar mort, degar zan,
10
Dupree, Nancy Hatch, The Women of Afghanistan, Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, 1996, p. 12.
Dupree, Nancy Hatch, The Women of Afghanistan,, Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, 1996, p. 10.
12
The World Bank, Engendering Development, 2003, p. 6.
11
8
DRAFT
Agar namort, degar zan.”13
Loosely translated, this means
“Woman, beat her.
If she dies, another woman,
If she doesn’t die, beat her.”
This is a striking, but very common view of the value of women and their health in
Afghan culture. Generalizations have their risks, and in no way can we speak for all
Afghan men, but the value of a woman’s life is low on the economic totem pole, and the
decision-makers in the community/family that control access to health services often
make the decision to seek help for women and girls’ health problems far too late.
Birth spacing and safe contraception are currently almost non-existent in Afghanistan.
These are the types of lessons that are necessary in adolescence when future fathers and
mothers begin assessing their plans for life. Prenatal care is also virtually absent in
Afghanistan, particularly in the rural areas. Without effective prenatal care,
complications related to pregnancy cannot be recognized, diagnosed or treated, and thus
simple cases of breach births or eclampsia that could be treated in the West often lead to
death for Afghan women.
 Education
Prior to the war, overall student numbers doubled in primary (358,000 to 786,000) and
tertiary (3,200 to 9,800) education and increased by 50% in secondary education (42,000
to 87,500), with increases among girls.14 At this point, women’s numbers increased in
university enrollment also, with a doubling in all sciences, including medicine.
Again, there have been some positive externalities coming from the war and
displacement in Afghanistan, and one of these is the increased demand for primary
education for girls15. Prior to the war, most of the rural population was influenced by the
local mullahs and village elders, whose stake in the status quo and entrenched patriarchal
interests, perceived that outside information and education would damage the honor of
the community, as manifested in the behavior of its girls and women. Experiences in the
refugee camps changed this, as Afghans saw the direct benefits of educating girls, the
value-added of having nurses, doctors, and project managers who were women. It was
proven that women could be literate and still uphold the family honor.
 Islamic feminism is alive and well, despite attempts to besmirch the term, and its
potential for catapulting human development in Afghanistan is unlimited16. The
essential equity that Islam bequeaths on all is not only a powerful instrument to
improve the human development of all Afghans, but particularly to wield against
13
Ghafar Osman, personal conversation.
UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, 1977 and 1988.
15
Azarbaijani-Moghaddam, “Report of the European Community Rapid Reaction Mechanism Assessment
Mission, Afghanistan Gender Guidelines”, April 2002, p. 23.
16
Badran, Margot, “Islamic feminism: what’s in a name?” Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 14
14
9
DRAFT


prevailing patriarchal attitudes and behaviors of the spoilers who would like to
destabilize the Transitional Authority/Government of Afghanistan.
One example of an indigenous effort to strengthen the public’s awareness of and
claim on Islam is the Islamic Awareness Program (IAP). IAP was created in
December, 2003 by a group of Afghan women that attended an Asia Foundation
gathering in Columbo, Sri Lanka17. It was strongly felt that the religion of Islam
had been hijacked by extremists and opportunists, and that a forum did not exist
in Afghanistan where men and women could advocate on real Islamic values.
Thus, this center was developed by Seema Ghani and colleagues to bring together
religious scholars and community activists to explore the true meaning of human
rights in Islam, and to further disseminate that awareness to the rest of
Afghanistan.
Gender sensitivity and rights training have proven positive effects on the behavior
and subsequent influence of Afghan aid workers who have benefited from such
training in the work place18.
 Employment
Estimates of women in the labor force are usually lower than those of men and are not
comparable internationally because for women, what constitutes their labor is often not
regarded as economic contribution to the formal economy. Much of women’s labor,
including the triple burden of productive, reproductive, and community managing, is nonmonetized, and thus not recognized19. Afghan women have always been part of the
productive capacity and labor force in Afghanistan. This has not been recognized due to
the fact that non-monetized measurements of productive labor are not considered in most
economic assessments of gross domestic product (GDP). An engendered analysis of the
Afghan economy would doubtlessly give us a different picture of inputs and outputs.
From food stock management, seed multiplication, animal husbandry, veterinarian and
income generation via carpet-weaving in the rural areas, to professional urban women,
the range of Afghan women’s contributions to the formal and informal economies vary
widely, but they are solidly there20.
It is internationally recognized that labor market flexibility and the economy’s capacity to
adapt to change are seriously reduced by sex segregation in the range of occupations.21
For Afghan women, this divide is even more harmful because they have a much narrower
range of labor market choices at present. In the long run, it’s also harmful to Afghan men
as the economy changes and their traditional jobs (civil servant, farmer, fighter, mullah,
etc.) begin to wither away with economic reforms and demobilization. Job growth may
then be concentrated in the growing service industries, where women often tend to
dominate in other countries. Thus labor market integration of gender is good for men, as
well as women in Afghanistan, and the few western agencies that have taken it upon
17
Informational flier from the Islamic Awareness Program, Carwan Sarai, Opposite Ministry of Interior,
Kabul, Afghanistan. For more information, contact seema_Ghani@hotmail.com
18
UNICEF, Future Directions in Women’s Role and Status in Afghanistan, November, 2001.
19
Azerbaijani-Moghaddam, p. 5.
20
Dupree, Nancy Hatch, The Women of Afghanistan,, Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, 1996, p. 7.
21
Ibid., World Development Indicators.
10
DRAFT
themselves to include a quota system for women, such as the European Community,
should be lauded for their progressive attitudes.22
It is also essential to realize that Afghan women have been forced to shoulder more
economic and social responsibilities during the war years, which has created a disparity
the reality of women’s lives, and the traditionally accepted roles they are expected to
follow. This divide will have to be recognized in project and program planning by the
assistance community and the local authorities.23
Poverty and women – With the increase in female-headed households due to the war and
displacement, as well as the loss of traditional kin-based coping mechanisms, poverty
disempowers Afghan women much more insidiously than official discrimination does.
As long as women are focused on meeting their own and their families’ basic needs for
food, water, and shelter, they are effectively blocked from seeking real power via
education, activism, and legislation. This is where the need for practical gender needs
sometimes conflicts with strategic gender needs. The two are indivisible. Malnourished,
sick women cannot lead political movements for change, and political power should not
rest in the hands of a few elite women, who are largely representative of the jehadi
groups.
Self-employment for Afghan women has been limited due to the lack of credit and
banking facilities in Afghanistan. When women do have access to funding external from
family sources, as in the northern carpet weaving populations, it is usually from traders in
the markets, who charge fairly high levels of interest, so that the final product, when sold,
provides a marginal income to women once they’ve paid off their loans. Microcredit
schemes implemented by NGOs in Afghanistan have had mixed results. Often only
disbursement and repayment data has been collected, so that the overall impact on the
lives of women and children has not been measurable. Nonetheless, there is a huge push
to extend credit to Afghan men and women via the World Bank’s Microcredit Institute
Support Facility (MISFA), which is being contracted out to local and international NGOs.
The results of this intervention remain to be seen.
“Trafficking in women and girls has increased. Girls are purchased in Afghanistan,
trafficked through Pakistan and sold into prostitution or marriage in the Persian Gulf
countries24.”

Justice
22
European Union projects include women in all facets of implementation, even in construction and roadbuilding activities, which both gives women access to higher levels of income, and narrows the gap in sex
segregation of the labor force.
23
Discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan: Report of the Secretary-General, United
National Economic and Social Council, January 28, 2002, E/CN.6/2002/5, p.15.
24
WOMANKIND Worldwide, “Taking Stock: Afghan Women and Girls Six Months On”, July 2002,
http://www.womankind.org.uk/documents/balance.htm
11
DRAFT
The bulk of data regarding women’s identity and access to legal resources are unknown
at present. Are we real? Do we exist? Only 1-2% of women in Afghanistan have
identity cards and 98% have no formal papers, proof of citizenship, or identity25.
Much discussion has been held regarding the new Constitution and women’s rights in it.
The end-result of the mix of Islamic law and specific rights granted to women as full
Afghan citizens will be monitored by the Gender and Law Working Group, the Afghan
Human Rights Commission, and various international agencies. Each province will have
woman representing them in the lower house of Parliament, the House of the People, and
the President will appoint one third of the delegates to the upper house, the House of the
Elders, half of which will be women (1/6th of the total)26.
Without ensuring serious protection and security, any small gains made for Afghan
women in the refugee camps, the new Constitution, or international projects will swiftly
fade away. In spite of the promises to expand NATO outside Kabul and to expand the
security mandate of the dubious Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) being run by
the Coalition Forces, security for both Afghan men and women remains poor and
splotchy.
International donors often hold the model of village shuras as ideal for solving local
disputes, but for Afghan women, these are not just venues to go to for addressing
criminal offences. Most shuras are composed of representatives of the landed gentry
(a.k.a. feudal lords) and have an inherent bias towards supporting the status quo. There
are both class biases, as well as rich-poor biases in the structure of these shuras, and
international community’s (particularly the male members) avid adoption of these shuras
for community decision-making and conflict resolution should be re-examined in terms
of both gender, class, and income.
When problems such as rape, domestic violence, honor killings, etc. are dealt with
communally, as in the shuras, the potential for further victimization of the woman is high,
and the possibility of a just outcome is low, so it’s not surprising that few women come
forward to report these types of crimes. There is hope in the nascent Afghan Women
Lawyers and Professionals Association, but without donor support for building such
institutions, they are bound to fail. Surveys of existing family codes, Islamic legal
precedents, inheritance, land ownership, and property are essential.
Police reform and integration of women into the police forces is one of a gender
interventions that holds the most promise for Afghan women at present. The prisons for
women are abysmal, and the crimes of most of the imprisoned women have been
dubiously convicted. Serious attention needs to be paid to the improvement of judicial
institutions and their implementing bodies.
Finally, the demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration (DDR) program must include
women as decision-makers and evaluators – not because women ex-combatants are part
25
26
Ibid. WOMANKIND.
UNIFEM Update, Issue #3, November 03, p. 2.
12
DRAFT
of the target population, but because the target population of male ex-combatants will be
returning to villages, cities, and communities that consist of women and girls. These excombatants must be sensitized to gender and human rights issues, domestic violence, and
non-violent methods of conflict resolution, not to mention HIV/AIDS prevention – all
issues that will dramatically affect their communities of return.
 Public voice
Afghan women are raising their voices, whether educated or not, there is a clear feeling
that enough is enough. Proof is the projected participation of 11% for women in the first
Emergency Loya Jirga, which was exceeded by almost half. The Ministry of Women’s
Affairs had called for 25% women’s representation on the Loya Jirga, but the target was
set by the interim government at 11%. The extra 4% that came through other channels
showed that a more ambitious target could and should have been set.27 Further proof is
the proliferation of women’s publications in spite of the still prevalent atmosphere of fear
and retribution that threatens women who dare to claim a public presence.
Section 2: Analysis of what is being done
NB: In as much as possible, make comparisons of the situation from baseline of
before the Taliban (1996 baseline), during Taliban (1990s) and after Taliban period
(post 2000).
Total population
1980 = 16.0 million
2001 = 27.2 million
2015 = 38.8 million
Population age composition, 2001
Ages 0-14 = 43.7 %
Ages 15-64 = 53.5 %
Ages 65+ = 2.8 %
Average annual population growth rate
1980-2001 = 2.6 %
2001-2015 = 2.5 %
Ratio of female to male enrollments in primary and secondary schools
1990 – 50%
199528 – 10%
2000 – n/a29
WOMANKIND Worldwide, “Taking Stock: Afghan Women and Girls Six Months On”, July 2002,
http://www.womankind.org.uk/documents/balance.htm
p. 7.
28
United Nations Human Development Report, 1995.
27
13
DRAFT
Literacy rates of boys and girls
Net intake in grade 1 as % of school age population – n/a
Share of cohort reaching grade 5 as % of grade 1 students
1980
male = 62%
female = 61%
1999
n/a
Primary completion rate as % of relevant age group
Total 1995-2001 = 8%
Male = 15%
Female = 0 (less than .5%)
Adult literacy rates30 of men and women compared
Female as % of total = 4%
Female as % of male = 10%
Average years of schooling
Total 2000 = 1.7 years
Male = 2.6 years
Female = .8 years
Literacy gender parity index ages 15-24
2001 = N/A
Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR)
1995 – n/a …or 17 out of 1,000 live births (ick)
Births attended by skilled health staff
1990 – 9
2000 – n/a
Life expectancy at birth
199531
male= 43
female = 44
2001
male = 43
female = 43
Average age at marriage = n/a
29
World Development Indicators 2003, The World Bank, Section 1.2, http://www.worldbank.org/data p.
18.
30
United Nations Human Development Report, 1995.
31
Ibid., Human Development Report.
14
DRAFT
Pregnant women receiving prenatal care – n/a
Maternity leave benefits
% of wages paid in covered period = n/a
Crude birth rate per 1,000 people = 48
Crude death rate per 1,000 people = 21
Using contraception = n/a
Fertility rate32
197833 = 9.3 per woman
1985 = 13.6 per woman (in the refugee camps)
1995 = 7-9 per woman
Female participation in the labor force
1980 = 34.8
2001 = 35.7
By specific sector:
1980-82
Agriculture
Male = 66%
Female = 86%
Industry
Male = 9%
Female = 12%
Services
Male = 26%
Female = 2%
Wages of women
Access to loans and credits
Female-headed households
Women in the private sector and in the informal economy
Women within the household: Contribution to the budget, number of women
headed households, etc
Labor force parity index
1990 = 0.5
2001 = 0.6
Inheritance laws
Land ownership
Representation of women in the political structure
Representation of women in the Loya Jirga and other councils
Representation of women in NGO movements
Calculate if possible the GDI and the GEM
Women in decision-making positions
32
33
Ibid., Human Development Report.
Dupree, Ibid. p. 10.
15
DRAFT
%of total at ministerial level
1994 = n/a
1998 = n/a
2004 = 2/29 = 6%
% senior level positions in the civil service34
2003 = 3.2%
Local municipalities or equivalent
Female council members = n/a
Female governors = n/a
Parliamentary: upper/lower Chambers = n/a
Section 3: Policy Recommendations
Policy recommendations are nothing without being put into practice. In other words,
follow-up is everything. We can recommend the moon, but if no action is taken and no
evaluation of progress is made, then there is no point in making policy recommendations.
With this in mind, the team suggests the following immediate policies:
1. Physical security - Expand NATO beyond Kabul
2. Professionally mainstream gender in the analysis, formulation and evaluation of
polices, programs, and projects. Mainstreaming gender is a long-term process that
requires solid financial, strategic, and institutional commitment from all partners.
Mainstream gender in international organizations and international NGOs, as well as
Afghan institutions.
Repeal all legal and other orders that discriminate against women and end all forms of
discrimination against women, including hate language that is expressed by public
figures. The international community and the Transitional Authority must condemn
misogynistic and inaccurate statements that are made in public.
Guarantee a secure environment free from verbal or physical violence to ensure women’s
participation in public life.
Employ short-term measures, including targets and quotas, aimed at women to accelerate
the inclusion of women in decision-making roles at all levels.
Authorize the full participation of women in the assessment of short, medium, and longterm priorities in all sectors.”
34
Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC) Database, at level two,
which is equivalent to director level or above, October 2003.
16
DRAFT
“Afghan women should be seen as primary stakeholders and agents of change who have
identified their own needs and priorities in all sectors of society and are ready to be full
partners in the rebuilding of their society.”
“NGOs should not be seen as the sole or main space for women’s involvement, in
particular, given the tendencies to equate civil society with women or to assign women a
role in civil society only”
“Women’s effective participation in civil, cultural, economic, political and social life
should be promoted and protected throughout the country, including the right to life;
respect for the right of women to work; the right to education, the security of person, to
freedome of movement and association, freedom of opinion and expression, to equal
access to facilities necessary to protect their right to highest attainable physical and
mental health.”
“Ensure that international male staff work with national male staff on gender and human
rights issues.”
Effective health referral systems must be developed in both rural and urban dsettings, and
the cadre of female health practitioners must be enlarged.
“Develop indicators to measure progress and facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of
all programs and projects with regard to their contribution towards the achievement of
gender equality goals.”
“Judicial reform, including women’s participation and representation, compliance with
highest international standards, and being informed by good practice from Islamic
countries.”
Legal scholarships and fellowships for women advocates to study abroad to bring back
best practices and lessons learned from countries with strong family law codes, such as
Tunisia.
“Securing written and public commitment to women’s rights from all members of the
Afghan Transitional Government.”
17
DRAFT
Annex 1
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Dupree, Nancy Hatch, The Women of Afghanistan,, Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, 1996.
The Holy Quran, Verse 11, Surah 13, Al Rad, or The Thunder.
Nezam, Taies, Personal conversation, 1993.
Hunte, Pamela …….., …p. . Women and the Development Process in Afghanistan
- July 1978
AID/NE-C-1487
Afghanistan Project: 298-035 Regional Training for Women
Integration of Women into UN Projects and Programs in Afghanistan prepared
for UNDP Kabul July 1992
Discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan: Report of the Secretary-General, United National
Economic and Social Council, January 28, 2002, E/CN.6/2002/5.
The World Bank, Engendering Development, 2003, http://www.worldbank.org/gender/prr.
United Nations Human Development Report, 1995 (the first year of GDI introduction – subsequent reports
did not include Afghanistan due to lack of data).
Azarbaijani-Moghaddam, “Report of the European Community Rapid Reaction Mechanism Assessment
Mission, Afghanistan Gender Guidelines”, April 2002, p. 23.
Badran, Margot, “Islamic feminism: what’s in a name?” Al-Ahram Weekly On-line, 14
Informational flier from the Islamic Awareness Program, Karwan Sarai, Opposite Ministry of Interior,
Kabul, Afghanistan. For more information, contact seema_Ghani@hotmail.com
UNICEF, Future Directions in Women’s Role and Status in Afghanistan, November, 2001.
WOMANKIND Worldwide, “Taking Stock: Afghan Women and Girls Six Months On”, July 2002,
http://www.womankind.org.uk/documents/balance.htm.
World Development Indicators 2003, The World Bank, Section 1.2, http://www.worldbank.org/data.
Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission (IARCSC) Database, at level two,
which is equivalent to director level or above, October 2003.
UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, 1977 and 1988.
UNIFEM Update, Issue #3, November 03.
http://www.un/org/milleniumgoals
18
DRAFT
Annex 2
MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS
The Millenium Declaration was adopted unanimously by the United Nations in
September, 2000 to improve the welfare of everyone on earth. The Millenium
Development Goals35 (MDGs) are the means of measuring progress towards reaching the
Millenium Declaration. Each MDG is benchmarked by one or more specific indicators
to measure progress towards reaching that goal.
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and reduce hunger and malnutrition in half by 2015
Poverty is measured by calculating
i. Proportion of population living below $1/day. The “dollar a day”
poverty line36purchasing price parity37 rates are converted to local
currency units based on consumption or income.
ii. Poverty gap ratio
iii. Share of poorest quintile in the national income or consumption
tables.
Hunger is measured by calculating the
a) Proportion of population below minimum level of dietary
energy consumption = the prevalence of undernourishment
compared to the average caloric requirement per day set by
FAO (1,900 calories/day).
b) prevalence of underweight children under five years of age as
measured by height-weight ratio comparison to a wellnourished reference.
2. Achieve universal primary education by 2015
a) Measured by calculating the net enrollment ratio, which is the ratio of
enrolled children of official school age to the number of children of the
same age in the population.
b) Proportion of pupils starting grade 1 who reach grade 5.
c) Literacy rate of 15- to 24-year olds.
3. Promote gender equality and empower women by eliminating gender disparities
in primary and secondary education by 2005 and at all levels of education by
2015.
a) Ratio of female to male enrollments in primary, secondary, and tertiary
education.
b) Ratio of literate females to males among 15- to 24-year olds.
c) Share of women in wage employment in the non-agricultural sector
35
http://www.un/org/milleniumgoals
World Development Report, 1990.
37
Purchasing price parity conversion factors are estimates by World Bank staff based on data collected by
the International Comparison Program. World Development Indicators, 2003, section 1.1, page 17.
36
19
DRAFT
d) Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament.
4. Reduce child mortality
a) As measured by the number of under-five deaths per 1,000 live births
b) Infant mortality rate.
c) Proportion of one-year-old children immunized against measles.
5. Improve the health of mothers by reducing the maternal mortality rate by threequarters by 2015.
a) Maternal mortality ratio
b) Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel.
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
a) HIV prevalence among 15- to 24-year olds pregnant women,
b) Condom use rate of the contraceptive prevalence rate.
c) Prevalence and death rates associated with malaria.
d) Proportion of population in malaria-risk areas using effective malaria
prevention and treatment measures.
e) Tuberculosis prevalence and death rates.
f) Proportion of tuberculosis cases detected and cured under directly
observed treatement, short course (DOTS).
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
2. Proportion of land area covered by forest.
3. Ratio of area protected to maintain biological diversity to surface area
4. Energy use (kilograms of oil equivalent) per $1 of GDP
5. Carbon dioxide emissions per capita and consumption of ozonedepleting chlorofluorocarbans.
6. Proportion of population using solid fuels.
7. Proportion of population with sustainable access to an improved water
source.
8. Proportion of urban population with access to improved sanitation.
9. Proportion of population with access to secure tenure.
8. Develop a global partnership for development
1. Net overseas development assistance (ODA) as a percentage of DAC
donor’s gross national income.
2. Proportion of ODA for basic social services.
3. Proportion of ODA that is untied.
4. Proportion of ODA received in landlocked countries as a percentage of
GNI.
5. Proportion of ODA received in small island developing states as a
percentage of GNI.
6. Proportion of developing country exports (by value, excluding arms)
admitted free of duties and quotas.
20
DRAFT
7. Average tarriffs and quotas on agricultural products and textiles and
clothing.
8. Agricultural support estimate for OECD countries as a percentage of
GDP.
9. Proportion of ODA provided to help build trade capacity.
10. Number of countries reaching HIPC decision and completion points.
11. Debt relief committed under new HIPC initiative.
12. Debt service as percentage of exports of goods and services.
13. Unemployment rate of 15- to 24-year olds.
14. Proportion of population with access to affordable, essential drugs on a
sustainable basis.
15. Personal computers and internet users per 1,000 people.
21
DRAFT
Annex 3
GLOSSARY OF TERMS USED
Shuras
Access to an improved
water source
Access to improved
sanitation facilities
Average annual
Traditional village elder model of local governance for
community decision-making and conflict resolution. Not
gender integrated, and highly class-stratified.
Percentage of population with reasonable access to an adequate
amount of water from an improved source, such as a household
connection, public standpipe, borehole, protected well or
spring, or rainwater collection. Unimproved sources include
vendors, tanker trucks, and unprotected wells and springs.
Reasonable access is defined as the availability of at least 20
liters a person a day from a source within one kilometer of the
dwelling.
Percentage of population with access to at least adequate
excreta disposal facilities (private or shared but not public) that
can effectively prevent human, animal, and insect contact with
excreta. Improved facilities range from simple but protected pit
latrines to flush toilets with a sewerage connection that are
correctly constructed and properly maintained.
Exponential change for the period indicated. Subtracting the
22
DRAFT
population growth
Average tariff
Births attended by
skilled health staff
Carbon dioxide
emissions
Crude birth rate
Crude death rate
Fixed line and mobile
subscribers
Gross domestic
product
Gross domestic
product per capita
Gross national income
Gross national income
per capita
Incidence of
tuberculosis
Infant mortality rate
Labor force gender
parity rate
Life expectancy at
birth
Literacy gender parity
index
Maternal mortality
ratio
Net enrollment ratio
crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of
natural increase, which is equal to the population growth rate in
the absence of migration.
The simple mean tarrif, the unweighted average of the
effectively applied rates for all products subject to tariffs.
The percentage of deliveries attended by personnel trained to
give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women
during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period, to conduct
deliveries on their own, and to care for newborns.
Emissions stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the
manufacture of cement, including the carbon dioxide produced
during consumption of solid, liquid, and gas fuels and gas
flaring.
Number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000
population estimated at midyear.
Number of deaths occurring during the year per 1,000
population estimated at mid-year
Telephone mainlines connecting a customer’s equipment to the
public switched telephone network, and users of portable
telephones subscribing to an automatic public mobile telephone
service using cellular technology that provides access to the
public switched telephone network.
Sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product
taxes (less subsidies) not included in the valuation of output.
Gross domestic product divided by mid-year population.
Sum of value added by all resident producers plus any product
taxes (less subsidies) not included in the valuation of output
plus net receipts of primary income (compensation of
employees and property income) from abroad.
Gross national income divided by midyear population.
Estimated number of new tuberculosis cases (pulmonary,
smear positive, extrapulmonary).
Number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per
1,000 live births.
Ratio of the percentage of women who are economically active
to the percentage of men who are.
The number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing
patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the
same throughout its life
Ratio of the female literacy rate to the male rate, for the age
group 15-24.
Number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes
during pregnancy and childbirth, per 100,000 live births.
The ratio of enrolled children of official school age to the
23
DRAFT
number of children of the same age in the population.
Net official
development
assistance
Poverty gap ratio
Prevalence of child
malnutrition
Comprises grants and loans (net of repayments of principal)
that meet the DAC definition of ODA and are made to countries
and territories of the DAC list of recipient countries.
Percentage of children under five whose weight for age is more
than two standard deviations below the median for the
international reference population ages 0-59 months. The
reference population, adopted by WHO in 1983, is based on
children from the United States, who are assumed to be well
nourished.
Prevalence of HIV
Percentage of people ages 15-24 who are infected with HIV.
Primary completion
Number of students successfully completing (or graduating
rate
from) the last year of primary school in a given year, divided by
the number of children of official graduation age in the
population.
Purchasing price parity Gross national income converted to international dollars using
gross national income purchasing price parity rates
Purchasing price parity Exchange rates based on the relative prices of consumption
rates
goods in each country
Share of poorest
Share of consumption, or in some cases, income, that accrues to
quintile in national
the poorest 20 percent of the population.
consumption
Total fertility rate
Number of children that would be born to a woman if she were
to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in
accordance with current age-specific fertility rates.
Under-five child
Number of deaths of children under 5 years of age per 1,000
mortality rate
live births
Undernourishment
Consuming too little food to maintain normal levels of activity
set by FAO as 1,900 calories/day
Unemployment
The share of the labor force without work but available for and
seeking employment.
24
DRAFT
Annex 4
Afghanistan versus South Asia and the developed world
Indicator
% of girls completing
primary school
Years of average
schooling for average
woman
% of total population
Life expectancy at
birth
Crude birth rate per
1000 people
Crude death rate per
1000 people
Total population
Population age
composition in %
Average annual
population growth rate
Female participation in
the labor force
By specific sector
Afghanistan
South Asia
61%
Developed World
3.4 years
49.0
43 years
48
21
1980 = 16.0 mill
2001 = 27.2 mill
2015 = 38.8 mill
Ages 0-14 = 43.7
Ages 15-64 = 53.5
Ages 65+ = 2.8
1980-2001 = 2.6 %
2001-2015 = 2.5 %
1980 = 34.8
2001 = 35.7
1980-82
Agriculture
Male = 66%
Female = 86%
Industry
Male = 9%
Female = 12%
Services
Male = 26%
Female = 2%
25