VAWIP@SAP I
Celebrating Women’s Day
In solidarity with National Women’s Commission for the celebration of Women’s Day, South Asia Partnership- International (SAP-I) participated in the rally organized by the commission on 8th March 2009.The rally took a round of Kathmandu city. SAP-I participated in the rally with slogans like:
- Women and men united to end violence against women and girls
- End Violence Against Women in Politics
- Promote Women’s Participation in Political Decision Making
- Listen to voices of women politician for a change
- Let’s promote democracies without violence against women in politics
- Create zero tolerance towards violence against women in politics
- Men of quality support women’s equality
- Promote Gender Equality In Politics
Afghanistan Mission of South Asia Partnership International
(January 25-Febraury 5, 2009)
About the mission
SAP International made a mission to Afghanistan from January 25- February 5, 2009, which was headed by Dr. Rohit Kumar Nepali Nepali, the Executive Director of SAP International and Noorin Nazari, an independent consultant on Gender and Development. As the newest member of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Afghanistan is now an officially recognized South Asian country. There is also a strong interest among Afghan civil society to connect with and learn from the more established CSO structures and networks in South Asia. The mission to Kabul, Afghanistan was a byproduct of continues consultation and negotiation between South Asia Partnership International (SAP International) and South Asia Partnership Canada (SAP Canada) who recognizes the importance of Afghanistan’s participation in the vibrant South Asian civil society movement.
Objectives and Goals
The objective of its mission to Afghanistan was to identify and explore the prospects of facilitating and creating an enabling environment for meaningful participation of Afghan women in politics and good governance through a participatory and demand-driven informal needs assessment process. Another objective of the mission was to meet former Afghan women participants of SAP International’s regional events. Similarly, the mission was also organized to build partnership with local Afghan organizations for both establishing relationship geared towards involving the organizations in future SAP International regional events and developing partnership for future collaborative programs in Afghanistan.
Activities and Achievements of the mission
SAP International had few meetings with the representatives of CIDA and shared the objectives of its mission. These meetings provided SAP International with some understanding of the Agency’s priorities and plans for supporting Afghanistan’s democracy building and good governance initiatives in long term and civic education during the upcoming presidential election for short term.
SAP International conducted a number of meetings with relevant government organizations such as the Ministry of Women Affairs, international organizations such as the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM); local media sector organizations, women networks, civil society organizations and network of local organizations. The purpose behind these meetings evolved around establishing meaningful relationship with various civil society organizations, government and non-governmental organizations and the media to identify the needs of these organizations which would shape and design future SAP International involvement in Afghanistan
SAP International visited a number of organizations representing the civil society, media sector, women network organizations, women politicians, women judges and local non-governmental organizations with the objective to select partners for implementation of its future programs in Afghanistan. Subsequent to identification of Partner Organizations, a Consultative Meeting was organized with Partner Organizations for the purpose of sharing ideas, programs and identifying areas of collaboration. In the meeting SAP International organized a presentation on SAP International’s involvement in the issues governance and democracy in South Asia and effort towards promoting safe and meaningful participation of women in politics.
SAP International has been a host organization for Afghan women politicians, judges, media practitioners, and gender specialists in the past few years through its Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWIP) regional conferences. SAP International revived its relationship with this group of accomplished and prominent women in a meeting organized in Kabul. The former participants provided the feedback to SAP International with an idea as to what the need and challenges of these women in Afghanistan are at this juncture of their historical struggle.
SAP International organized a workshop on Violence Against Women in Politics; A South Asian Perspective in Kabul during its mission. A number of former SAP International regional events participants, and local organizations including the Independent Human Rights Commission representative, politicians and gender specialists attended the workshop. The workshop gave a regional perspective on the issue and served as an eye opening tool for many of the participants who appreciated the workshop’s regional focus as a unique and unprecedented approach in their experience.
The history of involvement of SAP International for Afghanistan goes back to 2002 when the Organization conducted an in-depth study on Sexual Exploitation of Children in Afghanistan. Subsequently, the organization facilitated the process of mainstreaming Afghan women politicians, judges, media practitioners and gender specialists to international and regional arena by inviting their participation and voice in various regional events of People Summit and Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWIP) in 2006, 07 and 08. Similarly, before Afghanistan made the headline of news in Canada and around the world, in 1999 SAP Canada anchored the Afghanistan Working Group, a network of Canadian NGOs working in Afghanistan, kept a "watching brief" on Afghanistan, organized several consultations, conferences and roundtables on issues related to Afghanistan. Of these events, the 2001 conference, Afghanistan of Tomorrow: Realistic Prospects for a Lasting Peace, was a milestone, drawing 200 Afghan expatriates from North America and Europe, as well as government and civil society representatives in Ottawa.
