AT News Report
KABUL: On Tuesday, four hundred Afghan women completed USAID’s Afghan Civil Service training program. USAID’s Women in Government internship program has equipped these women with the knowledge and skills to successfully serve the Afghan people in the civil service and expects that many will soon begin their careers in government.
Silsila Safi, a graduate of the program said at the event, “The training I received from USAID’s Women in Government program helped me get a senior-level position in the Afghan civil service.”
Between 2015 and 2020, USAID will train more than 3,000 women through a year-long internship program for careers in government. As of June 2019, more than 2,700 women graduated from the program. Over 860 graduates are now employed in Kabul, Balkh, Kandahar, Herat, and Nangarhar.
Speaking at the event, Sahraa Karimi, Director of Afghan film with the Ministry of Information and Culture said to the graduates, “It is your responsibility to pave the way for thousands of other Afghan women.”
In 2014, the Afghan government committed to increase the number of women in the civil service from 22 percent to 30 percent by 2020. By hiring qualified and trained women, the government will cultivate a civil service that is more responsive to the needs of its citizens.
Since 2001, the U.S. placed a top priority on supporting women’s empowerment as the most effective investment for accelerating economic growth and achieving sustainable peace.