Women Economic Empowerment Rural Development Program/MoWA

About the Company

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) was established in 2001 under the Bonn Agreement. Until the third quarter of fiscal year 2020, as a government institution for advocacy and coordination, it was dedicated to plan, implement, and monitor programs within its strategic plan and national and international commitments. With the support of the leadership from the GoIRA, other governmental institutions, and non-governmental organizations, particularly, in the past five years, according to its “activities procedure”, it becomes a policy-making ministry and have brought significant changes in the life of Afghan women.

With the changes in the leadership of the ministry in 2020 and the commitment of the president of the GoIRA, it became an executive institution in addition to policy making. The initial steps to improve the quality and effectively address women’s issues taken to improve its plans and organizational structure through evaluation and consultation with women, domestic and foreign elites considering social, economic, cultural, financial and political aspects. Based on the consultations, a Deputy for Women Economic Empowerment was established in the structure of the Ministry of Women Affairs.

Objectives of the Ministry

The goal(s) of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) are effectiveness and quality in all national and local programs, empowerment of women at national level through, participation, coordination, and evaluation for balanced and effective development with national values.

Women Economic Empowerment-Rural Development Project (WEE-RDP) is a flagship national initiative of the GoIRA and part of the Sustainable Economy Growth pillar of MOWA, which intends to increase social and economic empowerment of rural poor women in selected communities during a five-year project. It would work in 5000 villages in all 34 provinces across Afghanistan in close collaboration with Citizen Charter (CC) and assuring convergence with other MoWA projects, NHLP project of MAIL, Access to Finance project (TUP) of World Bank, etc. The project will work closely work with Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) and other stakeholders from financial sector to promote access to finance in selected rural areas.