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SIGAR report shows shortcomings in some US programs for Afghan women
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) stated in a report released Thursday that despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent on efforts to support Afghan women and girls since 2002, some programs were designed on assumptions that proved to be ill-suited to the Afghan context.
In the Lessons Learned report, SIGAR head John F. Sopko stated that the shortcomings were found in an examination of 24 US gender-related programs.
“Some programs were designed based on assumptions that proved to be
ill-suited to the Afghan context and the challenges that women and girls faced.
“We found that establishing a correlation between program activities and related outcomes was not always possible, and in many cases, insufficient monitoring and evaluation of program activities made it impossible to assess the programs’ actual impacts,” he said.
The report stated that it is critical that US officials working on or in Afghanistan develop a more nuanced understanding of gender roles and relations in the Afghan cultural context – and work to ensure that US policies and programs are responsive to this context.
“US agencies also need to assess how to support women and girls without provoking backlash that might endanger them or stall progress,” read the report.
Sopko however pointed out that despite some shortcomings the importance of US backing for Afghan women’s rights should not be underestimated.
Almost $800 million has been spent in direct support of Afghan women and enormous progress has been made since 2002, including in the fields of health care and education.
The report stated meanwhile that “US and international diplomatic pressure can be instrumental in advancing women’s legal rights and participation in public life – in politics, government, media, and civil society.”
The report also noted that educating Afghan men and boys about gender equality issues and working with them as partners and advocates are critical to advancing women’s status and rights in Afghanistan.
“It is crucial that more women assume leadership positions in a wider range of Afghan government ministries, including at the cabinet level,” read the report.
However, the report stated that “US efforts to improve the lives of women and girls will continue to be constrained by significant barriers, especially insecurity and harmful sociocultural norms.”
In its recommendations to the US Congress, SIGAR suggested the current funding levels for Afghan women to improve access to health and education need to be preserved but that it be conditions-based so the Afghan government demonstrates its commitment to protecting the rights of women.
Among other recommendations made, SIGAR said the US Department of Defense also needs to spend between $10 million and $20 million a year to recruit and retain women in the military forces.
Among a list of other recommendations, SIGAR stated the US also needs to continue to support protective shelters for women and girls fleeing abuse, and increase mentorship and support to the Afghan National Police’s Family Response Units.
SIGAR also listed a host of recommendations for USAID with regards to protecting and empowering Afghan women. SIGAR stated the USAID administrator should ensure that job skills training for Afghan women are designed to be practical and responsive to market needs, and that the agency assesses the degree to which training expands participants’ knowledge and skills.
Reacting to this report, Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson said on Tuesday that the US’s commitment to Afghan women is steadfast.
“From 2002 to 2020, we invested over $785mln to improve outcomes in health, education, political/economic participation & access to justice for Afghan women,” he said.
“But our work was not without lessons learned – nor is it complete. Women worldwide are disproportionately affected by poverty, insecurity & harassment. Afghan women face formidable cultural, social, political & security barriers in exercising their constitutional rights,” he tweeted.
“Afghan men must also be champions of this critical issue; their future depends on full female representation so that Afghanistan might advance the gains and accelerate towards a more prosperous future,” Wilson stated.
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Khalilzad warns Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions likely to worsen after fresh airstrikes
Former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has warned that the latest Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan and recent violence inside Pakistan are part of a wider crisis, saying he sees no indication that the situation is about to change.
In a post on X on Thursday, Khalilzad described the Pakistani airstrikes that have killed Afghan civilians and the increasing use of force against civilians in Pakistan as “interconnected tragedies,” implying both effected by Pakistan’s establishment.
“Unfortunately, I do not see any signs of change,” Khalilzad said, adding that current indicators suggested the use of force against Pakistanis would “likely get worse” in the coming days.
His comments came after Pakistan carried out a new wave of airstrikes inside Afghanistan overnight Thursday, saying it had targeted 10 locations used to launch and store drones.
Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the strikes were conducted in response to drones launched from Afghan territory a day earlier and described them as “deliberate, precise, calibrated and proportionate.”
Afghan officials said the strikes killed four civilians. The attacks reportedly hit locations including Kandahar, Khost and Paktia provinces. Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate authorities have denied launching the drones cited by Pakistan and have condemned the strikes.
The latest attacks follow Pakistani airstrikes earlier this week in Kunar and Paktika. Pakistan said those operations killed 28 militants, while the United Nations confirmed that three Afghan civilians — a man, a woman and a girl — were killed, with four others injured.
The renewed airstrikes come amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of allowing militant groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from its territory and launch attacks inside Pakistan.
Afghan authorities reject the allegations and say militancy inside Pakistan is an internal issue.
Khalilzad has previously called for a change in Pakistan’s strategy toward both its internal security problems and Afghanistan.
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Afghanistan summons Pakistani chargé d’affaires over latest airstrikes
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires to Kabul and lodged a strong protest against the violation of Afghan airspace and Pakistani military airstrikes on several Afghan provinces.
The ministry handed the Pakistani diplomat a formal protest note following the attacks on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Wednesday night, which reportedly caused civilian casualties.
The Islamic Emirate strongly condemned the strikes, calling them a violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and contrary to Islamic, international, humanitarian and good-neighborly principles.
The ministry also rejected what it called baseless claims that Afghan territory was being used as a source of Pakistan’s recent security incidents.
It said using such claims to justify military action was an attempt to distort facts, mislead public opinion and conceal Pakistan’s internal failures.
The Islamic Emirate further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of avoiding commitments made to regional countries and warned that such actions could further escalate tensions in the region.
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Museum dedicated to preserving ‘Jihadi’ artefacts opens in Kandahar
The museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
A museum dedicated to preserving what Afghan authorities describe as “Jihadi artefacts” has officially opened in Kandahar, with officials saying more than 100 items have so far been collected for display.
Mufti Mohammad Tahir Ahmad, Director General for the Preservation of Jihadi Artefacts at the Ministry of Information and Culture, attended the inauguration ceremony alongside Qari Ahmadullah Saeed Khosti, Director of Registration for Jihadi Artefacts and Documents.
Mufti Inamullah Samangani, head of the Kandahar Information and Culture Department, and officials from several government departments also attended the ceremony.
According to the official responsible for preserving the artefacts in Kandahar, the museum’s collection includes more than 100 items gathered from different locations.
The collection includes weapons that officials say were captured from British, Soviet and US forces, as well as personal belongings and other items associated with people killed during Afghanistan’s conflicts over the past two decades.
Officials said efforts to collect additional artefacts would continue in order to expand the museum’s collection.
The museum is now open to visitors, according to the officials.
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