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©UNICEF/U.S. CDC/UN0771576/Georges Harry Rouzier

  • Summary
  • Key results
  • Strategic insights
  • Resources
  • SDGs
  • Funding partners
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  • Strategic plan
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    Summary of strategy

    UN Women has been in Afghanistan for two decades. UN Women Afghanistan’s programming approach is informed by an analysis of the political, economic, and humanitarian situation, risks to and capacities of partner organizations, and the priorities and needs of Afghan women and girls. 

    UN Women Afghanistan currently focuses on four interlinked programme priorities: (1) Gender in Humanitarian Action; (2) Ending Violence Against Women; (3) Women’s Economic Empowerment; and (4) Women, Peace, and Security.

    Working in close partnership with women’s civil society as a key driver of progress and accountability on women’s rights and gender equality in the country, UN Women remains committed to supporting Afghan women and girls, and to placing them at the center of the global response to the crisis in Afghanistan.

    UN Women Afghanistan operates through its main office in Kabul, and five sub-offices located in the provinces Balkh, Bamyan, Herat, Kandahar, and Nangarhar. 

    Planned Budget (Total) Other resources (non-core)
    Country Indexes

    UN Women in action: Strategic insights and achievements

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    Advancing SDGs: UN Women's impact and key achievements

    For the women and girls of Afghanistan, 2024 was another year of profound challenges, marked by intensifying restrictions on their lives. Determined collective efforts nonetheless resulted in achievements � UN Women successfully delivered programming in five core thematic areas, through the Afghanistan Country Office (ACO) and five sub-offices across Afghanistan. Sustaining women�s organizations Emanating from the intentional investment in services �by women, for women�, the ACO partnered with 240 women�s organizations, providing critical financial support and programming funds, and tailored capacity-building and mentorship. UN Women thus ensured that these organizations have the tools needed to deliver their vital interventions � in an environment that has fundamentally changed the way they work. Over US$4.5 million in grants were allocated to women�s organizations to support their organizational resilience. Amplifying the voices of women and girls Grounded in unique UN Women access and commitment to women�s organizations, the ACO played a critical role in amplifying the voices of Afghan women and safeguarding their space. Continuing its collaboration with UNAMA and IOM, the ACO conducted quarterly consultations throughout 2024, furthering this unique mechanism to engage Afghan women directly, documenting the impact of restrictions on their lives and their navigation of challenges to support their families and communities. UN Women reached women in all 34 Afghan provinces, surveying up to 900 women per consultation round and engaging with the de facto authorities (DFA) on findings. The findings directly fed into proceedings at multiple political forums, including the UN Security Council, the Human Rights Council, and the Doha political process. Driving knowledge and thought leadership UN Women developed two flagship gender reports: the EU-supported Afghanistan Gender Country Profile 2024 � the most comprehensive gender analysis of post-August 2021 Afghanistan; and the Gender Index using UN Women-UNDP twin indices measuring the status of women and girls across five dimensions and eight SDG indicators. Six studies across a range of issues were developed, including on civil society priorities for the Doha process and an overview of women�s rights since August 2021. Work in collaboration with the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) and via the GiHA WG produced multiple milestones during 2024, ensuring that women�s voices and needs are prioritized in humanitarian efforts. Among pioneering first-of-its-kind achievements stand inclusion of response plan indicators measuring humanitarian engagement with women�s organizations and women�s access to assistance; inclusion of gender-specific access impediments in regular OCHA access reporting; and establishment of the Women�s Advisory Group, through which Afghan women provide strategic guidance to the HCT on strengthening women�s access to assistance and entry points for engagement with the DFA.

    Advancing SDGs: UN Women's impact and key achievements

    Efforts undertaken by the Afghanistan Country Office (ACO) in 2023 occurred in a drastically altered, highly volatile operational environment, where women and girls were being systematically erased from public life, triggered through a stream of more than 50 edicts issued by the de facto authorities (DFA). The overall impact of the mutually reinforcing edicts has been the progressive denial of the full spectrum of rights for women and girls as citizens of Afghanistan. Within this landscape, ACO efforts across its thematic areas contributed to safeguarding, holding and amplifying the voices and participation of Afghan women and women organizations, making them visible and engaging them as partners to inform policy and programming priorities. Specific ACO actions contributing to this result included: Amplified the voices, perspectives and priorities of Afghan women, documenting what is occurring on the ground and using their input to provide recommendations for the international community. Strengthened women�s organizations and the women�s movement, through timely, responsive and catalytic support (e.g. retention of salaries for women staff banned from working). Forged partnerships with private and public actors to identify opportunities for women business owners and invest in avenues for enhanced employability of Afghan women within the private sector. Rebranded and expanded delivery of services via available entry points (e.g. joint programming with other agencies to support those most left behind). Strategically engaged with the DFA (e.g. advocacy for projects to continue). Expanded UN Women space via the coordination role within the UN system (e.g. co- chairing Gender in Humanitarian Action Working Group, Gender Theme Group, and the Strategic Thematic Working Group on Gender and Human Rights). Thought leadership and consolidation of UN Women as the �go-to� actor for analysis on women�s rights in Afghanistan. Key outputs in this regard: Gender Alerts on Afghan women working in NGOs and women�s rights under the Taliban. Rapid-response Gender Updates on the Herat earthquakes (10 and 21 October) and Afghan returnees (14 November and 10 December). 7 Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Snapshots on the impacts of the bans on Afghan women workers. Expert Group Meeting gathering Afghan women and international legal and political experts to reflect upon and bui

    Results and resources

    Impact: All women and girls in Cameroon will fully enjoy and exercise their human rights, in a gender equal society, and meaningfully contribute to the country's sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development and EU integration

    Impact

    All women and girls in Cameroon will fully enjoy and exercise their human rights, in a gender equal society, and meaningfully contribute to the country's sustainable and inclusive socio-economic development and EU integrations

    Outcomes (aligned with interagency frameworks)
    AFG_D_1.1

    By the end of 2025, more people in Afghanistan, particularly the most marginalized, can equitably access essential services that meet minimum quality standards.

    AFG_D_1.1.1

    Afghan women and girls’ survivors of violence and those at risk have access to quality and available EVAW/G services.

    AFG_D_1.1.2

    More women and girls benefit from humanitarian assistance interventions during and after crises

    AFG_D_1.2

    By the end of 2025, more people in Afghanistan will benefit from an increasingly stable, inclusive, and employment-rich economy, with greater equality of economic opportunities and more resilient livelihoods, increased food production, and improved natural resources management.

    AFG_D_1.2.1

    Afghan women have increased knowledge and capacities to benefit from livelihood opportunities, including through access to entrepreneurship skills, finance, and markets

    AFG_D_1.2.2

    Afghan women have enhanced access to employment opportunities in the private sector

    AFG_D_1.3

    By the end of 2025, more people in Afghanistan can participate in an increasingly socially cohesive, gender equal, and inclusive society, where the rule of law and human rights are progressively upheld, and more people can fully, equally, and safely participate in governance and decision-making.

    AFG_D_1.3.1

    UN Women ACO effectively leads, coordinates, and promotes accountability for the implementation of gender equality commitments across the international community’s (UN system, Member States, and regional organizations) to ensures interventions and policies related to GEWE in Afghanistan are informed by the perspectives of Afghan women and girls, hence better able to respond to their needs.

    AFG_D_1.3.2

    Diverse Afghan women leaders, including women human rights defenders (WHRDs), business women and women's civil society leaders, are enabled and empowered to advocate for gender equality and women’s rights, women participation in economy in international and national policy forums.

    AFG_D_1.3.3

    Civil society organizations, institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders benefit from knowledge on promotion of positive social norms, attitudes, and behaviors on gender equality and women empowerment at community, national and international level.

    AFG_D_1.3.4

    UN, Member States and regional organizations have access to gender-disaggregated data and gender analysis produced by UN Women in their policy, planning, and coordination frameworks to promote stronger accountability on gender equality and women empowerment.

    AFG_D_1.3.5

    Women led-civil society organizations in Afghanistan have increased institutional capacity to advance their work across the full spectrum of human rights contributing to the strengthening and rebuilding of Afghan women civil society

    AFG_D_1.4

    The UN system in Afghanistan, Member States and regional organizations effectively contribute to progress on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in Afghanistan

    AFG_D_1.4.1

    International community (UN system, Member States, and regional organizations) have improved access to advice and expertise, including informed by Afghan women and girls, that promote greater UN system coordination and accountability to GEWE commitments in Afghanistan.

    Organizational effectiveness and efficiency
    AFG_O_1

    ACO maintains principled performance and accountability to achieve its programmatic ambitions

    AFG_O_2

    ACO continues to sustain, generate and diversify strategic partnerships and resources to advance gender equality and women’s rights in Afghanistan

    AFG_O_3

    ACO’s reputation and operational approach is recognized as able to deliver impact at scale

    AFG_O_4

    ACO nurtures an empowered workforce and advances an inclusive UN Women culture capable of delivering together in as a cohesive team able to adapt to the new and emerging operating context

    AFG_O_5

    ACO effectively plans for and delivers on UN Women’s GEWE mandate through efficient and coordinated programmatic and strategic planning, and monitoring, evaluation and reporting of results

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    Outcome Result statement IATI identifier
    OutcomeAFG_D_1.1
    Outcome result statementRelated UNSF Output 1.5: Relevant providers and stakeholders have strengthened capacities to increase access to and improve the provision of preventive, mitigating, and responsive protection services — including on child protection, gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse, and explosive hazards — to the most vulnerable at family and community levels.
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-AFG_D_1.1
    OutcomeAFG_D_1.2
    Outcome result statementRelated UNSF Output 2.2: Private sector enterprises, particularly MSMEs, have improved access to finance, asset support and business development services, and increased business opportunities that stimulate growth and decent job creation.
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-AFG_D_1.2
    OutcomeAFG_D_1.3
    Outcome result statementRelated UNSF Output 3.1: Formal and informal governance mechanisms, community-based institutions, and decision-making platforms are more inclusive, responsive, accountable, and better able to contribute to social cohesion and reconciliation. Related UNSF Output 3.3: Communities, civil society organizations, vulnerable groups, women, and other relevant stakeholders, are more aware of and better able to promote and protect their human rights, aligned with international norms and standards, and mitigate threats to their safety and wellbeing.
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-AFG_D_1.3
    OutcomeAFG_D_1.4
    Outcome result statementRelated SP Outcome 7: UN system coordination for gender equality Related UNSF Output 3.1: Formal and informal governance mechanisms, community-based institutions, and decision-making platforms are more inclusive, responsive, accountable, and better able to contribute to social cohesion and reconciliation.
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-AFG_D_1.4
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    Expenses
    Outcome Result statement IATI identifier
    OutcomeAFG_O_1
    Outcome result statementACO maintains principled performance and accountability to achieve its programmatic ambitions
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-AFG_O_1
    OutcomeAFG_O_2
    Outcome result statementACO continues to sustain, generate and diversify strategic partnerships and resources to advance gender equality and women’s rights in Afghanistan
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-AFG_O_2
    OutcomeAFG_O_3
    Outcome result statementACO’s reputation and operational approach is recognized as able to deliver impact at scale
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-AFG_O_3
    OutcomeAFG_O_4
    Outcome result statementACO nurtures an empowered workforce and advances an inclusive UN Women culture capable of delivering together in as a cohesive team able to adapt to the new and emerging operating context
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-AFG_O_4
    OutcomeAFG_O_5
    Outcome result statementACO effectively plans for and delivers on UN Women’s GEWE mandate through efficient and coordinated programmatic and strategic planning, and monitoring, evaluation and reporting of results
    IATI identifierXM-DAC-41146-AFG_O_5
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    Strategic plan contributions

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