Women's Economic Empowerment in Afghanistan

Women's Campaign International’s (WIC) Economic Empowerment curriculum equips women to take on larger roles in household financial decisions and start their own businesses through training in business and financial literacy skills, entrepreneurship, and basic budgeting. WCI has found programs that encourage women’s economic ventures will significantly increase women’s self-confidence, their ability to manage household finances, and ultimately impact broader social change. To kick off our 2018 program in Afghanistan, a workshop focusing on the role of media in women's empowerment was hosted in conjunction with Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs in Kabul. Participants discussed the role of the media as an important tool for communicating messages, and analyzed how the media can provide a space for disparate campaigns to identify opportunities and encourage more women to participate in political and social leadership at community levels. The workshop provided a critical space for participants to network with other women and men who are working for women's empowerment and to share the experiences and challenges that they are facing in their communities. The workshop concluded with participants brainstorming how to move forward and change the media's narrative of women from a story of victimization to a message of empowerment.