GENDER EQUALITY PROJECT - UNDP Afghanistan

GENDER EQUALITY PROJECT
SECOND QUARTER PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT 2012

DONOR
PROJECT INFORMATION
Project ID: 00054320
Duration: March 01 June 30, 2012
Strategic Plan Component: Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women
CPAP Component:
Increased opportunities for income generation through promotion of
diversified livelihoods
ANDS Component:
Good Governance (Gender Equality as one of the six cross-cutting themes)
Total Budget: USD 2,999,800
Responsible Agency: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Cover Photo: Women beneficiaries at Zindajan district of Hirat province are benefiting from green-house
technology. Credit: Nooragha Tajik, Provincial Coordinator, GEP

ACRONYMS
AWP
CSO
CSO
DoJ
DoHRA
DoWA
FAO
GoIRA
GRB
IDLG
IEC
LHC
LM
LOTFA
MAIL
M&E
MoEc
MoF
MoHRA
MoI
MoWA
NAPWA
NIBP
NPP
PWDC
UNDP
GEP
WPDC
Annual Work Plan
Civil Society Organization
Central Statistics Office
Department of Justice
Department of Hajj and Religious Affairs
Food and Agriculture Organization
Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Gender Responsive Budget
Independent Directorate for Local Governance
Independent Election Commission
Legal Help Centres
Line Ministries
Law and Order Trust Fund Project for Afghanistan
Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock
Monitoring and Evaluation
Ministry of Economy
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Haj and Religious Affairs
Ministry of Interior
National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan
National Institution Building Programme
National Priority Programme
United Nations Development Programme
Gender Equality Project
ntre

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................ 1
OUTPUT 1: Policy development capacity of MoWA enhanced through the establishment of WPDC
for ensuring other line ministries to develop and implement gender sensitive policies/strategies . 2
1. FINANCIALS ............................................................................................................................. 8
2. RISKS/ISSUES ........................................................................................................................... 8
3. LESSONS LEARNED .................................................................................................................. 8
4. FUTURE PLAN .......................................................................................................................... 9
OUTPUT 2: Strengthened sub-national institutions to promote socio-economic empowerment of
women ................................................................................................................................................ 9
1. FINANCIALS ........................................................................................................................... 14
2. RISKS/ISSUES ......................................................................................................................... 14
3. LESSONS LEARNED ................................................................................................................ 14
4. FUTURE PLAN ........................................................................................................................ 15
A. ANNEX 1: FINANCIAL TABLE ...................................................................................................... 16
B. ANNEX 2: EXPENSES BY OUTPUT .............................................................................................. 17
C. ANNEX 3: ACTIVITY .................................................................................................................... 18
D. ANNEX 4: RISK LOG ................................................................................................................... 20
E. ANNEX 5: ISSUE LOG ................................................................................................................. 21

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Gender Equality Project (GEP) aims to establish models in cooperation, coordination and
public sector effectiveness for gender mainstreaming, promotion of gender equality and
strengthening of the position of women, with selected key government and non-government
partners. In order to achieve this, the project has two outputs of: strengthening the capacity of the
WA) as a policy making and oversight body for an effective
implementation of the National Action Plan for Women of Afghanistan (NAPWA) and
strengthening the capacity of sub-national institutions with the establishment of Provincial
-economic empowerment of women.
In Q2, progress under Output 1 included improving the capacity of MoWA for the collection of
gender-disaggregated data for the implementation of the NAPWA indicators and also facilitate the
integration of gender sensitive components into the policies and programmes of line ministries
(LMs), institutionalizing a networking mechanism within MoWA for the collection and
dissemination of gender specific information, and the review of three LMs and two independent
organizations.
The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) mechanism was revised and submitted for the final approval
before being implemented. In addition, support was provided to the other LMs which included the
review of budget making documents of the Budget Directorate in the Ministry of Finance (MoF) for
integrating gender in the preparation of budgets of the seven pilot ministries, development of
capacity development of female extension staff at the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and
Livestock (MAIL), closer coordination with the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs (MoHRA) for
collaborating with religious leaders on gender sensitive issues, provision of guidance for the
preparation of the gender policy of the MoHE among others. The training of Capacity
Development Officers of the UNDP National Institutional Building (NIBP) and the officials of the
Ministry of Interior (MoI) in collaboration with the UNDP Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan
(LOTFA) project enriched the outputs of the Gender Cluster through GEP. As a result of these two
interventions, both the projects have integrated gender as a main outcome of their different
initiatives
For Output 2, at the sub-national level, the GEP enhanced the capacity of the members of
elopment Councils (PWDC) in four provinces (Bamyan, Balkh, Herat and
Nangarhar) through its provincial offices in order to improve their service delivery for the socioeconomic
empowerment of women. Other initiatives to support the rural women included
improving the service delivery of the Legal Help Centres (LHC) and completing preparatory
activities for the establishment of the toll-free hotline in the three remaining provinces to assist
vulnerable women in accessing the justice system. In addition, GEP employed innovations
interventions for sensitizing the religious leaders to improve their understanding about the role
and status of women in society. Moreover, trainings for local media personnel to improve the
quality of reporting on gender specific issues were also organized.
Despite the achievements listed above, there were some challenges which impacted on the
se were within the management of the project office
and measures to address them were undertaken in order to continue with the activities.
H
ce and
required close consultations with other development partners to ensure the delivery of those
specific interventions were achieved with minimal delays.
Despite these risks and issues, GEP is committed to its goals and will continue its work in
overcoming deep-rooted gender inequalities in Afghanistan through partnerships with MoWA,
civil society organizations, and Afghan women and communities.
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OUTPUT 1: Policy development capacity of MoWA enhanced through the
establishment of WPDC for ensuring other line ministries to develop and implement
gender sensitive policies/strategies
The focus of Q2 was to deepen support to MoWA in order to improve its capacity as a policy maker
and an oversight body for mainstreaming gender in all Government initiatives. In order to
accomplish this objective, GEP supported and strengthened
Centre (WPDC) by establishing a networking mechanism which allowed WPDC to collect genderdisaggregated
data/information among the nine departments of MoWA 1 . WPDC, in collaboration
with the Central Statistics Office (CSO), prepared a comprehensive report which identified major
gender gaps based on data gathered through the networking mechanism in addition to existing
and available data in CSO. This report was shared with LMs to enable them implement NAPWA
indicators. GEP also assisted in institutionalizing the networking mechanism to ensure this
information was extended to the key LMs for an efficient implementation of the indicators of
NAPWA that have been developed by MoWA. The WPDC also formed an advocacy group within
MoWA which will work with MoWA to analyze the CSO statistical yearbook that is published
annually in order to raise the demand for sex disaggregated data for gender sensitive planning
and formulation of policies by key LMs. A comparative analysis of the statistical yearbooks of
2009/2010 and 2010/2011 was completed in collaboration with CSO and a diagnostic report was
prepared with recommendations for collecting and disseminating further sex-disaggregated data
by the LMs.
To strengt
other ministries, the WPDC also developed gender mainstreaming tools based on the needs
assessment survey of Q1 of Mo
n
Affairs (DoWA) in all 34 provinces. Some of these tools included: Gender Sensitivity Audit Guide,
Gender and Development Mainstreaming Framework and Perception Levels of Knowledge and
Commitment for mainstreaming gender in a systematic manner. These tools will serve as useful
guides for the LMs when implementing NAPWA indicators and ensure gender-specific
components are integrated into their major policies and programmes. The WPDC also completed
the gender analysis of the major policies / programmes of three LMs (MRRD, MoEc and MoHE) as
well as of two independent organizations (IDLG and IEC). These reviews provide MoWA with an
opportunity to guide the revision of existing policies/programmes and supervise the preparation
of new policy documents to make it more gender inclusive.
In addition, GEP continued with its support to the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Unit of the
Ministry. The primary aim of the M&E Unit is to oversee the implementation of the NAPWA
indicators by the LMs. A draft of the M&E mechanism to facilitate this supervision has been
prepared which was revised after obtaining the comments of the senior officials of MoWA and was
re-submitted for the approval of the Deputy Minister - Technical, MoWA. As soon as it is approved
will be rolled out to the line ministries and the provincial offices for implementation and for this,
necessary documents such as information briefs, checklists, and other related documents have
been prepared. A set of guidelines for strengthening the functioning of the Gender Units of the
LMs were prepared and submitted to the senior officials of MoWA for approval.
During Q2, GEP also
management: report writing and communication skills, time management, office conflict
resolution among others. The objective of the training was to familiarize the participants with the
key components of management techniques that would equip them with the skills of an efficient
manager for performing their routine tasks in a professional manner. The training was received
very enthusiastically and the feedback received through an analysis of the evaluation forms of the
participants underpinned the need of organizing such training programmes at regular intervals.
1 Departments: Coordination and International Relations, Provincial Affairs, Training and Advocacy, Finance &
Administration, Economic Empowerment, Legal, Culture & Social Affairs, Human Resources, Coordination
Office of the Minister.
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Nafisa, one of the participants mentioned that
the importance of time management and that office conflict resolution could contribute so much
to my efficiency. Shukria, expressed ble to write proposals for my
The enhanced capacity of MoWA, through the GEP project, has allowed it to better help LMs to be
more gender aware and inclusive.
In collaboration with Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) and MAIL, GEP completed a two-week
training programme for twenty-one female extension agents. The aim of the training was to
improve the skills of the participants in providing better support to female farmers and agricultural
producers to increase their economic productivity and incomes. The response in the evaluation
forms confirmed that the participants learned new techniques for increasing the productivity of
their constituents as well as on mainstreaming gender in their service delivery package. The
participants requested for this training to be arranged at the provincial level and held at regular
intervals. Also the Director of Home Economics (MAIL) has drafted a mechanism to follow up the
progress of the participants and will keep GEP informed and up-to-date.
In collaboration with the Law and
Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA)
project and the Ministry of Interior
(MoI), GEP implemented a training
programme on basic gender
mainstreaming concepts and the UN
Security Council resolution 1325 2 for
six batches of officials from the MoI.
In total, 160 officials from different
hierarchical levels were trained.
While awarding the certificates, the
Director of the Human Rights
Department of the Ministry
highlighted the need for such
trainings to sensitize his officials for
undertaking their responsibilities in a
gender equitable manner.
In the Ministry of Finance, GEP
recruited a national consultant to
strengthen the functioning of the
Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB)
Figure 1: Training of 160 MoI officials on Gender
Mainstreaming and the UN Security Council Resolution1325.
Credit: GEP
cell of the Budget Directorate. The national consultant has developed a comprehensive analytical
report on the Budget Circular I of the pilot ministries (Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Labour
and Social Affairs Martyred and Disabled, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education).
This report will be used by these pilot LMs when preparing their Budget Circular II which will
ensure gender specific issues are included in the budget proposals of their respective ministries.
The result will be a gender sensitization of the budget making process that would address the
needs of women and men equally through public funded programmes.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Haj and the Religious Affairs (MoHRA), GEP continued to
support their efforts to build a partnership with religious leaders. This will include a conference of
religious leaders to discuss issues relating to gender-based violence and other topics that affect
the madraasas for publicizing gender issues
within Islamic values, organization of exposure visits of religious leaders to other Islamic countries
2 UNSCR 1325: this is a landmark international legal framework that addresses not only the inordinate impact of war on
women, but also the pivotal role women should and do play in conflict management, conflict resolution, and sustainable
peace.
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for a first-hand experience of the contribution of women in national development within an
overarching Islamic framework, and a more intensive campaign to reach out to the communities
with advocacy materials through different media channels.
In the Ministry of Education (MoE), GEP prepared for the workshop to roll out the gender-sensitive
Curriculum Framework which was developed in Q1.
In the Ministry of Economy, an effort to mainstream gender in the preparation of the macro level
economic development strategy was stalled due to internal issues within the Ministry.
was completed in the three
provinces (Bamyan, Balkh and
Nangarhar) and the research report is
being drafted. The quarterly
newsletter could not be completed due
to a large-scale change of senior
management in Kabul University but it
planned for Q4 once meetings with the
new management have been
organized. However, a pilot training
programme on mainstreaming gender
was launched in the Faculty of
Languages and Literature which was
enthusiastically received by the
students. The evaluation forms
contained their remarks on the
importance of this programme in their
not know the real definition of gender
and that it can contribute to
Figure 2: Participants of the Gender Mainstreaming Programme
in the Faculty of Languages and Literature, Kabul University
Photo Credit: Syed Haroon Ahmadi
must be held more often to sensitize all students about
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Table 1: Progress towards annual targets for Output 1
2012 Baseline 2012 Annual
Targets
1. WPDC at MoWA WPDC is 80%
not established functional.
Q2 Planned Q2 Actual Comments
Develop networking mechanisms for
the collection and compilation of
gender focused information to be
sent to the line ministries for
facilitating the integration of gender
in their major policies/programmes
Established the networking mechanism
and institutionalized it for a sustained
linkage in the preparation of relevant
information and sharing these with LMs;
activities of the WPDC as specified in the
Annual Work Plan is also being
implemented
On track
2. No line ministries
have developed
gender sensitive
policies and
programmes
according to NAPWA
indicators
Gender sensitive
policies and
programmes
according to
NAPWA
indicators
developed in 18
line ministries
Review of three to four
policies/programmes of LMs &
independent organizations to be
completed as per the strategy
developed in Q 1
Completed review of
policies/programmes of MRRD, MoEc,
and MoHE as well of the IEC and IDLG
Delayed because the process is
taking more time than envisaged
and a revision in the number of LMs
may be necessary in consultation
with the Programme Unit and the
Programme Support Unit
3. 100 public officials
trained in gender
perspective in MoWA
and line ministries
since 2007
Capacity of
additional 200
public officials
on gender
perspective
improved in
MoWA & line
ministries.
Arrange the second phase of
capacity development training for 25
officials of MOWA on communication
skills, time management, report
writing and conflict management.
Completed the second phase of training
of first batch of 25 officials of MoWA on
management techniques.
On track
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2012 Baseline 2012 Annual
Targets
4. No gender
Gender sensitive
sensitive M&E
mechanism is
mechanism in 80% operational
existence in MoWA in MoWA; 12
monthly, 4
quarterly and 1
Annual report
prepared.
Q2 Planned Q2 Actual Comments
Finalize the M & E mechanism for
implementation NAPWA
Three monthly reports and one
quarterly report developed.
The first round of review of the draft
M&E mechanism for NAPWA
implementation was completed and the
review of the second round is on-going
before the document is approved and
implemented
Regular reporting documents prepared
and submitted to competent authorities
of MoWA
This document should have began
its implementation phase in the
second quarter but there has been a
delay in obtaining the approval of
the decision-making officials of
MoWA prior to implementation
5. Involvement of
women as
beneficiaries in the
projects and
activities of LMs is
less than 10%
involvement as
beneficiaries in
the projects and
activities of LMs.
Assess existing sex disaggregated
data in CSO to determine the impact
of policies and projects on women
Prepare analytical reports on sex
disaggregated data
Assessment of the existing sex
disaggregated data completed and the
gender gaps were identified.
An analytical report containing
necessary recommendations for sex
disaggregated data collection was
prepared and shared with LMs to ensure
the % of women beneficiaries is raised
to 75%
On track
6. Budget Circulars
1&2 and Budget
Statement in Budget
Directorate, Ministry
of Finance only make
brief reference to
gender
disaggregated
allocation of public
funds & expenditure
Gender
Responsive
Budgeting (GRB)
adopted by the
seven pilot
ministries
engaged in
implementing
performance
oriented
budgeting.
Review Budget Circular I (BC I)
documents of pilot ministries to
integrate gender into budget of LMs
The Budget Circular I documents of
pilot LMs were reviewed to integrate
gender sensitive component uide
prepared for preparing BC II
On track
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2012 Baseline 2012 Annual
Targets
Q2 Planned Q2 Actual Comments
7. Gender sensitive
economic
development
planning guidelines
have not been
established in the
MoEC
Gender sensitive
economic
development
planning
strategy
developed
Draft of the macro level economic
development strategy prepared
Draft of the strategy is still under
preparation due to some internal issues
within the Ministry; gender
mainstreaming components being
discussed with concerning officials
Strategy finalization is delayed due
to some issues within the Ministry
8. Development of
gender sensitive
curriculum
development has
not been taken up by
the Ministry of
Curriculum
Department
One research report
published in 2010 by
Gender Studies
Institute and no
newsletter in
existence in GSI in
Kabul University
Gender sensitive
issues
integrated (50%)
into the
Curriculum
Framework of
the Ministry of
Education
Another
research report
on
and four
quarterly
newsletters
published by
the GSI
Organization of two workshops in
the first half of 2012.
Complete the field survey and
compile the information/data
Publish quarterly newsletter.
Workshop s could not be organized
during Q 2 due to some logistical
reasons within the Ministry
Field survey for research report
completed; data and information being
compiled
Planned for publication of newsletter for
Q3.
The organization of the two
workshops which have been delayed
are being discussed to be held in Q3
The newsletter could not be
launched in this quarter due to a
major change in the senior
management level of Kabul
University who were driving this
initiative; will take this up with the
new management in Q3
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1. FINANCIALS
During Q2 a total of USD 113,661 was spent for this output. The breakdown of the details is
provided on Annex 1 and Annex 2.
RISKS
2. RISKS/ISSUES
• Security
In Q2, security concerns posed a challenge in completing some of the planned activities of the
project. As a result, the training programme of MoWA officials and the monthly meeting of the
working group of MoHRA had to be re-scheduled to a later date. Similarly, discussions with the
MoEC and MoHE officials for the development of the strategy and policy papers were delayed but
completed at a later date.
ISSUES
• Continuing absence of a project document
Since 2011, GEP has been managing without a project document. The Initiation Phase Plan was
prepared (2011) to bridge the gap while the new project document for the second phase was
being developed. However, due to a number factors, this has been delayed which as negatively
affected the project especially in planning for future activities. The project document is currently
being developed and should be completed by the end of Q3.
• Unexpected delays in obtaining relevant policy and programme documents from
LMs
Access to relevant documents by the WPDC consultants of the LMs proved to be a major hurdle. As
a result, progress is slow and if the situation does not improve, it may be necessary to discuss with
the Programme and Programme Support Units for a revision of schedule.
• Sudden changes of senior management in Kabul University
The sudden changes of senior officials of Kabul University Chancellor, Academic Vice Chancellor
and others who were closely connected with the project may delay the activities of GSI for the
following quarters. To overcome this problem, efforts are being made to meet the new
management and arrange a smooth implementation of the activities that have been planned.
3. LESSONS LEARNED
• The WPDC need to be given top priority
To achieve the annual target in making the WPDC fully operational, there is a need to provide the
WPDC consultants with logistical and technical support so that their focus and capacity is not
diverted from their mandate. The WPDC must understand the significance of their work and give
all their support to make this unique institution that UNDP has established a model for the other
development partners and the Government.
• Strengthening joint project initiatives
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The feedback received from the training programmes undertaken jointly with the LOTFA Project
and the NIBP are very encouraging and these initiatives need to be planned and implemented
through a well planned strategy so that they become a recurring feature of the projects. This
would also contribute to enriching the experience of the projects involved and also benefit the
participants of the training programmes.
4. FUTURE PLAN
In Q3, GEP will launch the M&E mechanism at the national and sub-national levels and begin the
first round of data/information collection. The second area of focus would be to get the draft of the
vocacy materials
in the focus areas of the project: sex-disaggregated data, GRB, gender and Islam among others.
OUTPUT 2: Strengthened sub-national institutions to promote socio-economic
empowerment of women
In order to strengthen sub-national institutions to promote socio-economic empowerment of
women, GEP adopts a two-pronged approach: building the capacity of PWDC members and other
9 | P a g e

sub-national institutions
Community Development Councils) and implementing activities for the socio-economic
empowerment of women.
A number of trainings on basic management skills for PWDC members and officials from the
DoWA and Department of Justice from Herat, Balkh, and Nangarhar were conducted to improve
their service delivery. The training content focused on results-based management techniques and
project/program cycles. However, the training will expand in the future as the PWDCs in Bamyan.
Balkh, Herat, and Nangarhar identified new areas for capacity development which include
entrepreneurship development skills and localization and globalization.
As a result, during the quarterly PWDC meetings held in the four provinces: Bamyan, Balkh, Herat
and Nangarhar, the participants identified new areas for capacity development of the target
groups and prepared a quarterly plan of action for implementation. Some of the new areas
included are as follows:
information relating to localization and globalization, market access and other related issues.
GEP complemented PWDC trainings with a number of other initiatives in order to promote the
socio-economic empowerment of women. One of those initiatives was gender sensitive media
advocacy and public outreach. GEP helped design and implement training for local media
personnel in Balkh and Bamyan. The emphasis on the training was on balanced reporting
of those techniques
across different media channels
In Q2, GEP continued to deepen the collaboration with religious leaders through two new
innovative initiatives. The first was the organization of inter-district-exchange visits for 100
mullahs who have been trained by the
previously organized religious
training programmes from Shindand and
Gulran districts in Herat to Guzara and
Zindajan. Given the influence that mullahs
have over the communities, GEP has
mobilized them to raise awareness of
to be an effective channel. The second
activity was the organization of a joint
program with DoWA and DoHRA involving
twenty-five religious leaders and twentyfive
women activists who shared a common
platform to debate issues relating to gender
equality within the overarching umbrella of
Islamic principles. This was the first time
such a public event was held with
representatives from both sides for the
debate. During this event, both sides were
able to share the view points that marked a
Figure 3: Religious leaders during a working group
session on gender equality issues.
Photo Credit: Shaima Siddiqi
h towards
socio-economic empowerment of women. The key topics discussed included issues relating to:
early marriage, forced marriage
Another initiative is the Legal Help Centres (LHCs) which provide women access to the justice
system when exposed to gender-based violence and raise awareness among women and
in
collaboration with the DoWA ad DoJ in Injil and Kohsan districts. These were opened in response
to a special request by the community who heard about the support being provided by the LHCs
in other districts. There are now 22 LHCs operating in the four provinces.
10 | P a g e

Shafiqa was nine years old when she was engaged to her first cousin. After her marriage, instead of being cared by
her mother-in-law, she was subjected to inhuman treatment. Her family came and took her back but her in-laws
-
mother registered her case with the Legal Help Centre (LHC) in the DoWA in Herat and she was sent to a shelter
from where her case was presented before the court of law. She was granted divorce and is now living with her
parents who are now contemplating her marriage but only with her consent.
The following table provides details on the number of cases registered and resolved by the LHCs in
the four provinces:
PROVINCE NAME # OF CASES REGISTERED # OF RESOLVED CASES
THROUGH LOCAL MEDIATION
Herat 240 142
Balkh 142 99
Nangarhar 150 51
Bamyan 46 37
The services of the LHCs in the provinces are now being supported by a hotline that provides free
counseling/advice to the victims which began as a pilot in Balkh towards the end of 2011. This
service is being acknowledged as an important input for providing support to the victims of
domestic violence. In Balkh, the hotline has been widely publicized and presently ten calls per day
are being received. The calls are documented by the professional telephone operator and a
monthly report is prepared to show details of the
calls location of the caller, nature of abuse,
action take/advice given and other details. There
is also a website: www.vaaw.af/ which is being
maintained and all these details are regularly
updated online for reference and general
information purposes. In addition, GEP has
obtained a short code from the Ministry of
Communications and Informational Technology to
enable easier access to the hotline and in turn
increase the number of calls received.
The PWDCs in the four provinces approved,
implemented, and supervised a number of
income-generating activities and trainings. In
Herat, a home decorative and handicrafts
training was held for 35 rural women in Karokh
district in collaboration with DoWA. The training
was well received by the women participants as
Figure 4: A woman entrepreneur expands her business
after receiving the home decorative handicrafts
training in Herat Province. Credit: UNDP
it enhanced their skills and knowledge to produce marketable products. On completion of the
training programme, Nargis, one of the participants stated,
The additional economic income benefited their
families since it increased their quality of life by allowing them to buy nutritious food and giving
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them the opportunity to send their children to school. More importantly, economically
empowered women have been positively as an important contributor to the home by their family
members.
In Nangarhar and Bamyan, a training programme on the production of vegetables through the use
of greenhouses was conducted for 30 women. This
training has equipped the women with the skills to
produce vegetables throughout the year which can
increase their income and also ensure food and
nutritional year around including the harsh winters.
Figure 5: A woman benefiting from the green house
training in Nangarhar province. Credit: UNDP
In addition, a Letter of Intent was signed between
UNDP and the Organization of Security and
Economic Cooperation in Vienna. The objective is
to train fifteen selected women entrepreneurs on
the basis of a specific criteria and give them
technical support over a year to improve their
marketing and IT skills to access markets, within Afghanistan and abroad. The women
entrepreneurs have been selected and preparations are underway for their training in Turkey in
September.
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Table 2: Progress towards annual targets for Output 2
2012 Baseline 2012 Annual Targets Q2 Planned Q2 Actual Comments
1. 14 Proposal Developed and
Implemented by PWDC for socioeconomic
and political
empowerment of women in four
provinces in 2011
2. 2110 Religious leaders trained in
four provinces in 2011
3. 16 LHCs opened in Bamyan,
Herat and Balkh provinces in 2011
yet to be established in Nangarhar
province
4. Gender sensitive media program
launched in television and articles
in printed media in 2011 in Balkh
and Herat provinces
60 Proposals developed and
implemented by PWDC for socioeconomic
and political
empowerment of women in four
provinces
1500- 2000 religious leaders
trained on the status of women for
promoting their social, economic
and political rights.
Two new LHCs per provinces
established in Balkh and Herat, two
in Bamyan (previously two were
opened) and four in Nangarhar;
total of 22 LHCs presently
operational
12 gender sensitive media
programs launched in television
and articles in printed media
Implement 12 different proposals
among the four provinces for the
socio-economic empowerment of
women & capacity development of
officials implementing the proposals
Train 200 religious leaders (through
different techniques)
Two new LHCs to be opened in Heart
Implement two gender sensitive
media training programme
12 proposals developed
and implemented
200 Religious leaders
trained
Two LHCs were
established in Heart
Two gender sensitive
media training
programmes arranged in
Balkh and Bamyan
On track
On track
On track
On track
5. Four proposals developed by
officials at provincial department
level for gender equality and
women empowerment in 2011
6. No provincial level gender
workshop organized
16 proposals developed and
implemented for the political and
socio- economic empowerment of
women
Organize two provincial
workshops on gender based
violence in Herat and Mazar
Implement three proposals for
developing the capacity of different
provincial level officials
Organize two provincial workshops
on gender-based violence
Three Programmes
implemented
These two workshops
were not conducted but
will be after Ramadan (last
week of August) due to
the busy schedule of the
Partners for Prevention
officials
On track
Delayed
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1. FINANCIALS
During Q2, a total of USD 378,413 was spent for this output. For more details, please look at Annex
1 and Annex 2
2. RISKS/ISSUES
Risks
• Security
Due to security reasons and restricted movements, some of the provincial level activities such as
the district level exchange visits of religious leaders and organization of economic empowerment
activities in Herat could not be undertaken on the planned dates but were held later.
Issues
• Lack of coordination with the DoWA officials of Bamyan
Due to a lack of common understanding and coordination with the DoWA officials, the
recruitment of the M&E Specialist has met with some delays. This has also impacted adversely on
other provincial level activities. A strategy has been developed to be undertaken by the project
management once the Director of DoWA returns from her leave.
• Need to upscale economic empowerment activities
There is an urgent need to upscale and diversify the economic activities that are presently being
undertaken for the economic empowerment of women. For this purpose, the Provincial
Coordinators have been asked by the Project Management to develop their quarterly plans
carefully with an emphasis on the design of innovative programmes for diversifying their activities.
These plans are prepared in close coordination with other stakeholders- PWDC members, DoWA,
to make the impact of the activities more broadbased
and inclusive.
• Transfer of funds to Herat office
Since the occurrence of the theft in February of this year, advances for implementing provincial
level activities are not being sent directly to the Provincial Coordinator. As a stop gap
arrangement, alternatives have been arranged but this is now proving to be difficult. To overcome
this situation, the Country Office will make a decision which would speed up
ivities
at the provincial level.
3. LESSONS LEARNED
• Need for institutional strengthening and capacity development of PWDC s and other
sub-national level institutions
A carefully prepared Capacity Development Plan is necessary for a sustained capacity
development of officials of the different sub-national level institutions. This was observed during
the different training programmes undertaken for enhancing the capacity of the concerned
14 | P a g e

officials. This will be included in the quarterly action plan which will be prepared by the Provincial
Coordinators and monitored by the project office.
• Well developed quarterly plans for a deeper impact
The quarterly plans prepared by the provincial offices need to be prepared with a focus on the
long-term aims of the project and monitored closely by the Provincial Coordinators to ensure they
are well
To translate this into action,
special instructions have been issued to the Provincial Coordinators on this topic and the draft of
the next quarterly action plan has been revised accordingly.
• Up-scaling of support services for improved access by women to the legal justice
system
The legal support being extended by the LHCs need to be strengthened and provided in a
systematic manner to address the needs of vulnerable women effectively. Different options are
currently being discussed and a decision will be adopted shortly to ensure the quality of service
delivery is improved.
• Need to have more joint ventures with other partners based on the recent
collaboration with the Organization of Security and Economic Cooperation (OSCE),
Vienna
The Organization of Security and Economic Cooperation has collaborated with the UNDP through
a Letter of Intent for promoting the entrepreneurial skills of fifteen women entrepreneurs engaged
in handicrafts production. They will attend a training programme in Turkey at which point there
will be a one-year technical support to develop their IT and marketing skills for improving their
productivity. Negotiations with other development partners are currently underway to establish
similar alliances.
4. FUTURE PLAN
In Q3, GEP will focus its assistance on developing high quality quarterly plans for the four
provinces: Balkh, Herat, Bamyan and Nangarhar that would address the needs of the target groups
more efficiently. In particular, special emphasis will be placed on improving the design and
implementation of economic empowerment activities. The extension of the toll-free hotline
service in all the four provinces will be another milestone for the next quarter which would also
Finally, there is a need to diversify the religious
leaders ing programme through the adoption of innovative activities.
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A. ANNEX 1: FINANCIAL TABLE
REVENUE EXPENSES AND COMMITMENTS BALANCE
Donor
Commitment
(a)
Total
Received
(b)
Total
Receivable
c=(a-b)
Carry
Over
(d)
Total
Resources
e (b+d)
Cumulative
Expenses as of
Mar 2012 (f)
Total Expenses
(Apr - Jun 2012)
(g)
Commitments
(h)
Total Expenses
&
Commitments
i = (f + g+h)
Balance
j=(e-i)
Remarks
UNDP
2,999,800 2,999,800 - - 2,999,800
359,752 838,875 124,417
1,323,044 1,676,756
Grand Total
2,999,800 2,999,800 - - 2,999,800 359,752
838,875
124,417 1,323,044 1,676,756
Note:
i) Cumulative expenses as of March 2012 is actual (column f)
ii) Expenses reported for the accounting period of April to June 2012 is provisional.
iii) Income received in currency other than USD is approximated to USD based on UN- Operational Rate of Exchange applied.
16 | P a g e

B. ANNEX 2: EXPENSES BY OUTPUT
Project Output
Output 01(81440)
(MoWA) through the establishment of Women Policy Development Center (WPDC), for
ensuring other line ministries are able to develop and implement gender sensitive policies
and strategies.
2012 Budget
(AWP)
Expenses
(April-June
2012)
Cumulative
Expenses
(Jan-Jun
2012)
Delivery
Rate
697,800 113,661 137,801 20%
Sub-total Output 1 697,800 113,661 137,801 20%
Remarks
Output 02 (81441) Strengthened subnational institutions to promote socio-economic
empowerment of women.
1,077,500 378,413 415,467 39%
Sub-total Output 2 1,077,500 378,413 415,467 39%
Output 03 (54320) Project Management Cost
1,224,500 346,801 645,360 53%
Sub-total Output 3 1,224,500 346,801 645,360 53%
Grand Total 2,999,800 838,875 1,198,627 40%
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C. ANNEX 3: ACTIVITY
Activity Description of Result Progress
1.1 Improved capacity of officials of MoWA to develop sexdisaggregated
data and also uniform gender sensitive
information and link with line ministries to facilitate their
implementation of NAPWA
1.2 strengthened capacity of M&E Unit to supervise NAPWA
implementation
1.3 Improved functions of Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB)
cell at Budget Directorate, Ministry of Finance
1.4 Improved capacity of female extension staff of the Home
Economic Department of Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and
Livestock (MAIL)
1.5 Improved research capacity of the Gender Studies Institute
(GSI)
1.6 Improved capacity of Ministry of Interior on a gender
perspective (As part of Gender Cluster activities).
Provision of technical support by WPDC to review policies /
programmes of line ministries, identification of gender gaps in
the collection of gender disaggregated data in CSO and
preparation of analytical report for use by MoWA and line
ministries; establishment of network mechanism within MoWA
for the collection of gender specific information for facilitating
the implementation of NAPWA through line ministries
Revised draft of M&E mechanism prepared and waiting for
approval to begin implementation; developed guidelines for
Gender Units which after approval can be used by them for
improved implementation of NAPWA indicators
National consultant recruited; reviewed BC I of pilot ministries
and prepared report; reviewed other documents on GRB
Two-week training programme organized in collaboration with
MAIL and FAO for developing the capacity of female extension
agents to improve their service delivery
Completed the collection of field data for the research on
started
Organized six training programmes for 160 officials of the
Ministry of Interior from different backgrounds on gender
mainstreaming issues and the implementation of UNSCR 1325
Compiled report on sexdisaggregated
data collection;
completed gender scan of 3
ministries and 2 independent
organizations
All technical inputs
incorporated into the revised
draft of the M&E mechanism s
Progress report will guide the
preparation of BC II which is
under preparation
Training materials prepared
and training organized
Meetings with the consultant
to supervise the compilation of
the draft report
Organize a feedback
workshop with the participants
and organizers for revising the
training materials of the
second phase of the training
programme
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2.1 Improved capacity of sub-national institutions
(Provincial/District Governors
traditional institutions) from a gender perspective.
2.2 Sensitized religious community about the role and status of
women in society.
2.3 Improved access to legal justice systems by vulnerable
women, victims of domestic violence
2.4 Gender sensitive media (electronic and print) promoted.
2.5 Enhanced capacity of PWDCs for the socio-economic
empowerment of women
PWDC members equipped with new managerial skills for
improving their service delivery
Innovative interventions being implemented to deepen the
understanding of the religious community about gender
issues: inter-district exchange visits of clerics and organization
of debate involving religious leaders and women activists
More LHCs opened to meet increasing public demand;
arranging preparatory activities for the establishment of the
toll-free hotline in the 3 remaining provinces for improved
access of women to the justice system
Organized training programmes for local media personnel to
improve the quality of reporting on gender issues and identify
innovative channels for media advocacy
Needs of women who are engaged in businesses identified and
technical support provided to acquire skills for establishing or
continuing their existing businesses
Different programme for the
capacity development of
PWDC members have been
implemented and new
programmes being designed
Based on the feedback
received from these two
events, arrange similar and
new events for a closer
interaction between religious
leaders and women as well as
community members
Supervise the establishment of
the toll-free hotline in the 3
remaining provinces
Identify new entry points for
effective media advocacy
through print and electronic
channels
Continue to provide sustained
technical and logistical
support to women
entrepreneurs for increased
productivity and income
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D. ANNEX 4: RISK LOG
# Description
1 Restricted movement
of project staff due to
security reasons
Date
Identified
1 st and 2 nd
weeks of
April 2012
High
Type
Impact &
Probability
Postponement exchange
district exchange visits of
religious leaders in Herat,
media training in Mazar
and monthly working
group meeting in MoHRA,
Kabul.
Countermeasures /
Management response
All these events were held at
a later time
Owner
Provincial
Offices in
Balkh
and
Herat
and
Project
Office in
Kabul
Submitt
ed
By
Provinci
al
Coordina
tors of
Balkh
and
Herat
and &
Project
Manager
Status
Resolved
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E. ANNEX 5: ISSUE LOG
ID
Type
Date
Identified
Description
Status/
Priority
Status Change
Date
Author
1 Operational
2 Programme
related
3. Operational
15 th April 2012
Taking over of the
management of the
toll-free hotline by
the project and
obtaining the short
code April June
2012
Joining of the M&E
Specialist April 2012
Joining of the telephone operator to receive calls from the
toll-free hotline and maintain website and prepare reports.
To maintain the hotline service in a cost effective manner, the
project management took over the service delivery from the
provider of this facility and obtained a short code for
increasing the outreach among the victims of domestic
violence.
To undertake close supervision of the provincial level activities
as well as of the different initiatives at the project level, it is
necessary to have a professional supervision and evaluation;
also to document the findings and take necessary actions for
High NA Project Manager
High NA Project Manager
High NA Project Manager
4 Programme
/Operation
related
5 Programme
related
6. Operations
22 nd April 2012
17 th June 9 th July
2012
13 th February 2012
A full-time national consultant was recruited for providing
technical support to the GRB cell in the Budget Directorate,
Ministry of Finance
Beginning of the activities related to the Formulation Mission
for the preparation of the project document of the second
phase of the project
Difficulties in transferring cash advances to the provincial
office
High NA Project Manager
Medium Continuing Project Manager
High Continuing Project Manager
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