After seven years of experience in Afghanistan, it is clear that there are no easy solutions to the current complicated situation on the ground. Although the London and Kabul Conferences reiterated the principle of Afghan “ownership” in national policy-making, international programs supporting institution building and good governance are still, to a large extent, highly fragmented and uncoordinated. In this time of urgency, the aim of this roundtable was to coordinate and present best practices for institutional capacity building and good governance to ensure that international efforts integrate and reinforce rather than undermine one another.

WCI’s input on gender issues was important in the context of working towards greater security and stability in the region. For the past seven years, WCI has conducted programs in Afghanistan designed to meet the specific needs of women affected by long-standing conflict, poverty and national trauma. To date, WCI has focused its efforts on women’s political participation at a national and local level and has conducted a number of workshops, trainings and rural outreach projects which aim to build the capacity of women. However, the fragmentation and lack of coordination in development efforts in Afghanistan over the past 10 years have been particularly harmful to the gender development work throughout the country. As gender work is already at a disadvantage, low on the priority list for funding, it is critical that every effort in this field is accounted for and applied in the most effective way.

The greatest take-away from the roundtable was the increased need for international and local development bodies to provide coordinated, targeted assistance programs tailored to the needs of Afghan institutions.

WCI has conducted programs in Afghanistan since 2005, implementing programs that address the poverty and the gender dimension that accompanies long-standing conflict and how it affects social, economic and political life. The Rome setting of this training was unique because it took participants out of their familiar environment which allowed participants to examine their own and international variations in cultural and gender communication norms and leadership styles. Through their active participation in the workshop sessions, trainees were able to learn about leadership styles and how to improve their leadership skills.

WCI’s communication and leadership based training module allowed participants to develop their roles as leaders within their own communities through activities that encouraged the identification and refining of their own personal and professional visions. Through the creation of five-year plans, trainees developed a series of steps to take in order to reach self-defined objectives and ultimately realize their goals. During sessions on technology and public speaking, trainees were able to develop their messages through the use of social media and outreach, thus expanding their personal visions to the surrounding community.

The participation of men and women together in gender-focused workshops was an essential part of the program as both groups were able to practice the inter-gender communications they learned about during the sessions. Similarly, the additional experience of living in Rome, where inter-gender relations are remarkably different, gave participants a new context to practice their skills. Although there were some obstacles in terms of security and logistics for the Afghan group, especially the women,[1] the program allowed for learning about and looking at cultural norms from an outsider perspective, creating a new context from which to evaluate gender dynamics within their respective workplaces.

During the workshop, participants had many opportunities to examine and confron t gender and cultural stereotypes in their own lives. Looking at the differences in body gestures and social cues between men and women led to a group discussion on directness and confrontation as it applies to inter-gender communications.  One realization from this session was that men tended to overlap and interrupt one another when trying to get their point across during a group conversation.  Conversely, women tended to wait for pauses as a cue that the previous person was done speaking before interjecting an idea.  This was often wrongly interpreted as the women lacking ideas or not having anything to contribute, when in many cases, they had something to say but were waiting for a pause in conversation that never occurred.

The exploration of these differences in communication styles brought further discussion about challenges women face in the work place.  Many women shared personal stories about how men often questioned or underestimated their capacity to lead or perform. Many were frustrated that a male boss is assumed to be capable until he underperforms in his role, whereas when a female boss must prove herself capable before gaining respect. Both men and women participants explored their personal power and the ways in which power relationships function within inter-gender communications.

WCI’s workshops and trainings in Rome allowed Afghan male and female civil servants to connect with one another in a new environment and develop inclusive strategies for the betterment of Afghanistan. Participating in these workshops allowed WCI to further expand its role in developing global leaders.

Afghan women MPs actively participate in WCI Parliamentary Strengthening Workshop, 2011

The warm and receptive atmosphere of the trainings helped create a relationship of openness and trust between the women MPs and WCI. In addition to our fruitful meetings and training sessions, the WCI team had the opportunity to speak at length with many of the women members about their experiences as elected officials and their professional and personal histories. These discussions often also included the challenges women faced under the Mujahedeen, Taliban and the difficulties they continue to face in the ongoing conflict.

For example, an MP from the Maidan Wardak province told us about how she secured admission to Kabul schools for forty students from her region. As a result, these students were immediately arrested and released months later only as a result of the MP’s personal perseverance. The only nomadic woman MP in parliament told us about how she campaigned for mobile health clinics and schools for her constituents and their children. These are just a few stories; countless other women MPs have secretly organized, taught children, provided health care and formed women’s NGOs against all odds and at an enormous risk to themselves and their families.

At the very end of the five-day training, one of the MPs, the Honorable Perwin Sadat, began to sing “We Shall Overcome.” By the end of her final verse other women and our team had joined in singing, feeling the power in each line and the relevance of the words in their lives and struggles. The entire group was tearful due both to the historical significance of the song in the United States’ Civil Rights Movement and the current socio-political conditions in Afghanistan as they relate to women. Just as with the Civil Rights Movement, the courageous women with whom we spoke shared a common thread of resistance, resilience and resourcefulness.

The WCI team consisted of Program Manager, Nasrin Rafiq, Program Officer, Nickie Séne, and two WCI senior consultant trainers, Ambassador Cynthia Schneider and Ambassador Meryl Frank. Major topics of the training included: leadership, coalition and consensus building, negotiation and diplomacy, inter-gender communication, media relations, public speaking, arenas for raising gender issues, gender mainstreaming, and establishing a Women’s Caucus.

Thank you to everyone involved both from the U.S. and Afghanistan for sharing your time and stories with us.

Enemies of Happiness closes with Ms. Joya’s victory, but reveals the complexities inherent in that victory. In the final two scenes of the film, we see Ms. Joya verbally sparring with her more conservative parliamentary colleagues. We also see President Karzai’s emotionally charged, sentimental speech to open the first parliamentary session in Afghanistan in nearly thirty years. In so doing, the film engages the tension between the hope inherent in securing a leadership position in an emerging democracy, and the continued challenges and setbacks women leaders face upon entering office.

Malalai Joya addressing an audience at the Arch Street Friends Meeting House in Philadelphia

On Wednesday March 30, Ms. Joya made two stops in Philadelphia as part of her U.S. speaking tour. At one of these events, I asked Ms. Joya about the ending of Enemies of Happiness, specifically what it suggested about her ability, or any woman’s ability to be effective in Afghan Parliament. She answered: “I wish the film didn’t end the way it did.” She said that ending with the Karzai speech left the viewer feeling that goals were accomplished and change easily made.

Instead, she wished the film showed her ongoing struggles after victory—the threats made against her by her colleagues, the times they turned off her microphone when she stood up to speak, the times she was thwarted in enacting her ideas. Ideas, she points out, that are as natural as asking that Afghan people be supported in accessing the most imperative of needs: education.

Women’s struggles do not end the minute they enter political office. Once there, they are faced with a number of hostilities as their presence, unfortunately, represents a threat to the old order. Ms. Joya, however, handles these pressures not only with dignity, but also with the hard skills needed of political leaders, including knowledge of the political system, a well-communicated platform, and strong negotiation skills.

In an excerpt from her recently published book, A Woman Among Warlords, Joya makes her determination clear, paralleling her fight with that of another brave Afghan woman who struggled against injustice in the early twentieth century, Sarwar Joya, from whom Malalai takes her alias. Malalai states:

“I know that because I refuse to compromise my opposition to the warlords and fundamentalists or soften my speeches denouncing them, I, too, may join [Sarwar] Joya on the long list of Afghans who have died for freedom. But you cannot compromise the truth. And I am not afraid of an early death if it would advance the cause of justice. Even the grave cannot silence my voice, because there are others who would carry on after me.”

As we collectively mourn the passing of Geraldine Ferraro, it is striking to remember that it was not long ago when here in the United States, women were not seen as viable political leaders. While women leaders in the U.S. have made great strides to move away from that perception, they are still working towards the goals of equal representation and equal decision-making power. What Ms. Joya helps us to remember is that each nation’s trajectory for women’s political participation will be distinct. It will take on the tenor of that particular nation’s history and culture, replete with unique challenges and opportunities. It will be an ever evolving, ongoing process. A process that benefits from the sharing of experiences and best practices of women leaders around the world.

A note from WCI: After conducting pre-election, campaign skills training for Afghan women in May of 2010, last week, Women’s Campaign International conducted a 5-day post election training for the 67 women parliamentarians in Afghanistan. Stay tuned for updates about these successful trainings.

Throughout both election years, the women campaigning have had to face unique and troublesome challenges. These include battling everyday prejudices and insecurity along with threatening phone calls and death threats. Despite such occurrences, women won 27.3% of seats in the Afghan Parliament in 2010, surpassing the 25% constitutional quota.

One woman in particular, Malalai Joya, won a seat in parliament in 2005. She served until being suspended in 2007 after openly criticizing fellow parliamentarians. Despite this setback, Malalai Joya continues tirelessly and courageously to promote human rights in Afghanistan. Her story is so compelling and inspiring, that she was recently the subject of an award-winning documentary film Enemies of Happiness, profiling her daunting experiences campaigning for the 2005 election.

Malalai Joya was recently included in the Time 100, a list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. Ms. Joya is also a contributor to The Guardian, a leading British new source. The brief profile below was produced by Time as part of their Time 100 series.

Women’s Campaign International (WCI) supports Ms. Joya and her fellow female change agents. Over the past few years, WCI has been involved in a series of programs in Afghanistan. We’ve conducted 8 to 10 day training workshops with women addressing issues like leadership, self-awareness, gender power and corruption power dynamics, communication and conflict resolution.

Next week (March 28th), WCI staff will travel to Afghanistan to conduct a comprehensive training program for newly elected, women Members of Parliament. This workshop aims to develop the MPs’ leadership, communication and advocacy skills and provide them with the necessary tools and knowledge to enact legislative change and govern effectively.

To further explore these complex dynamics and intricate stories, we invite you to join us at a screening of Enemies of Happiness on Thursday March 24th. The film screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring WCI President, Marjorie Margolies, and former PA State Representative, Lois Hagerty.

What: Enemies of Happiness Screening and Panel Discussion
When: Thursday, March 24, 6 – 8 PM
Where: Marathon Grill, 40th and Walnut St. (Upstairs)
Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served!

WCI is proud to present an exciting event in honor of Women’s History Month! In coordination with the Pennsylvania Women’s Campaign Fund, on Thursday March 24, we will screen the award-winning documentary film Enemies of Happiness (Eva Mulvad, 2006), to be followed by a panel discussion featuring our very own Marjorie Margolies.

Synposis of the film from PBS:
Enemies of Happiness follows the successful campaign of Malalai Joya, a 28 year-old Afghan woman running in the country’s first democratic parliamentary elections in 35 years. Joya’s courageous and vocal calls for governmental reform created real dangers in her life, but also won her the support of many who also wanted change in their nation.

What: Enemies of Happiness Screening and Panel Discussion
When: Thursday, March 24, 6 – 8 PM
Where: Marathon Grill, 40th and Walnut St. (Upstairs)
Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served!

Winner of the World Cinema Jury Prize in Documentaries at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Nasrin maintains that the Afghan population continues to mistrust police. She claims that the perception persists that the Afghanistan police force is one of the most corrupt in the world. That being said, Nasrin also asserts that there are more shelters being built and that their presence is a great stride forward for Afghanistan.

If, as the New York Times article suggests, there is a interdependent relationship between the increased number of women’s shelters and an increase in trustworthy police officers, how will the Obama administration’s proposal to expand the Afghanistan security force influence women?

The Obama administration seeks to significantly expand the Afghanistan security forces, including both the professional army and national police force. For women in Afghanistan, will this expanded and American-trained security force help protect women who suffer from domestic abuse, or will the high number of trained public authorities prevent women from safely seeking refuge?

Read More on this topic: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/us/politics/19military.html?hp

“Local Leaders form Strong Global Partnerships”

On Tuesday, March 3rd WCI will celebrate International Women’s Day  2009 with co-sponsors from the University of Pennsylvania as well as Philadelphia’s International House and United Nations Association.  This global panel will feature speakers from around the world, from Afghanistan to Philadelphia, as they discuss the status of women worldwide and their concerns for how the global recession will disproportionately impact women.

Guests sign into the 2009 International Women's Day Panel

WCI President Marjorie Margolies speaks on the panel

Panelists:

Suraya Pakzad

Executive Director of the Voice of Women Organization. VWO is one of the leading and most effective NGOs in Afghanistan. The charity’s main goal is to strive for the freedom and empowerment of women in Afghan societies.

Marjorie Margolies

President, Women’s Campaign International. WCI is a U.S.-based, nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing the participation of a diverse population of women in political and democratic processes worldwide. WCI works towards this goal by providing women of all groups with the skills and knowledge needed to participate fully in decision-making and policy formation activities.

Aldo E. Magazzeni

Aldo created Traveling Mercies, a non-profit foundation that is dedicated to helping others, while creating a vehicle to remove barriers between cultures so that individuals can share their strengths, assets and blessings with each other. Aldo has traveled to, and worked, with communities in Italy, Jamaica, Haiti, Mexico, South America, Bhutan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Kenya, Ethiopia and others.  His affiliation with volunteer groups include local churches, The Salvation Army, The Women of Hope, and The Nyumbani Children’s Home, to name a few.

Raphia Noumbissi

Raphiatou Noumbissi is a Bilingual HIV Case Manager working with Action AIDS. Her case load consists of 40% immigrant families. Prior to this job she worked for 5 years in Belgium as a social worker with physically and sexually abused women from North Africa. Raphiatou was born and raised in Cameroon located at the intersection of West and Central Africa; she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Family & Sexuality in Belgium before moving to Philadelphia in 1999.  Four years ago she started a medical outreach in Foumban Cameroon where each year she leads a team of 6 people including pediatric and adult nurse practitioners, dentist and social workers to provide free medical consultation and education for 4 weeks. The next trip is being plan for May 09.

Moderator:

Connie Hoe

Project Coordinator, SP2 Feldman Initiative – Hancock County. Connie is responsible for the overall coordination and implementation of the SP2 Feldman Initiative-a project to rebuild the mental health service system of Hancock County, Mississippi in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. She achieves this by developing excellent relations with key players in the region, recruiting and managing student volunteers and ensuring University participation and collaboration.

Please join us!  7pm at Philadelphia’s International House: 3701  Chestnut Street, Ibrahim Theater.  Free admission and refreshments.

Sponsored by: African Studies Center www.africa.upenn.edu, Middle East Center www.mec.sas.upenn.edu,South Asia Center www.southasiacenter.upenn.edu, International House Philadelphia www.ihousephilly.org, Women’s Campaign International www.womenscampaigninternational.org, United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia www.una-gp.org/