Empowerment through Education in Afghanistan (EEA)

  • P Project/Program

I Inactive

Key Information

CARE’s Empowerment through Education in Afghanistan (EEA) project, which has operated from 2011 to 2017 with support from the Australian Government, has helped rural communities in northern and south-eastern Afghanistan to send their children, including girls, to school. This project has included:

  • Work with the Ministry of Education (MoE) to train community-based teachers, providing mentorship, guidance, and support—enabling them to become part of the formal education system.
  • Community monitoring school activities through the Village Education Committees (VECs) made parents and community leaders feel comfortable with the community-based classes and has influenced even highly conservative, traditional households to allow their daughters to attend. VECs have also helped parents understand the importance of educating girls and to address barriers towards girls’ education. They provided an environment in which women and girls can participate in decision making.
  • Student peer groups and VECs have provided a platform for women and girls to build confidence and leadership skills.
  • Students received school supplies. This supported families in the target communities, many of whom were unable to afford school fees and materials.


Lead Implementing Organization(s)

Location(s)

South Asia

Afghanistan

Government Affiliation

Government-affiliated program

Years

2011 - 2017

Partner(s)

Afghan Ministry of Education (MoE)

Ministry Affiliation

Afghan Ministry of Education

COVID-19 Response

Unknown

Geographic Scope

National

Meets gender-transformative education criteria from the TES  

Unknown

Areas of Work Back to Top

Education areas

Quality

  • School facilities
  • School quality
  • School violence
  • Teacher training

Cross-cutting areas

  • Early/child marriage
  • Gender equality
  • Social and gender norms and beliefs

Program participants

Target Audience(s)

Girls (both in school and out of school), Youth

Age

Not applicable or unknown

School Enrolment Status

Some in school

School Level

  • Lower primary
  • Upper primary
  • Lower secondary
  • Upper secondary

Other populations reached

  • Boys (both in school and out of school)
  • Community leaders
  • Fathers
  • Mothers
  • Teachers - female
  • Teachers - male

Participants include

Not applicable or unknown

Program Approaches Back to Top

Community engagement/advocacy/sensitization

  • General awareness-raising/community engagement
  • School management committees
  • Technical assistance/capacity building to civil society organizations or governments

Mentoring/psychosocial support

  • Peer mentors

Reducing economic barriers

  • Addressing cost of school supplies
  • Scholarships/stipends for school fees

School-related gender-based violence

  • Training of school personnel (including teachers)

Social/gender norms change

  • Engaging parents/caregivers of students or school-age children/adolescents
  • Group activities with students or school-age children/adolescents

Teaching

  • Hiring more teachers (both men and women)
  • Teacher incentives

Women's empowerment programs

  • Leadership training

Program Goals Back to Top

Education goals

  • Improved academic skills (literacy and numeracy)
  • Increased enrolment in primary school
  • Increased school completion (general)
  • Increased school enrolment (general)
  • Increased years of schooling

Cross-cutting goals

  • Changed social norms
  • Increased agency and empowerment
  • More equal power in relationships
  • More equitable gender attitudes and norms