Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan – 132 women completed USAID’s Afghan Civil Service training program. This program equips women with the knowledge and skills to successfully serve the Afghan people in the civil service and begin a career in government.

Between 2015 and 2020, USAID will train more than 3,000 women through a year-long internship program for careers in government. As of July 2019, more than 2,800 women graduated from the program. Over 900 graduates are now employed in Kabul, Balkh, Kandahar, Herat, and Nangarhar.

Speaking at the event, Shahla Hadid, Department of Women’s Affairs (DOWA) Director said, “If you give the opportunity to these interns, I am sure they have the capacity to work alongside their brothers in the civil service. In our assessment, we are highly satisfied with these internship graduates and we feel they are all ready to be hired. The DOWA Directorate will try its best to recruit all WIG graduates in different agencies.”

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.

With almost $19 billion spent on development programs in Afghanistan since 2002, USAID provides the largest bilateral civilian assistance program to Afghanistan. USAID partners with the government and people of Afghanistan to ensure economic growth led by the country’s private sector, to establish a democratic and capable state governed by the rule of law, and to provide basic health and education services for all Afghans.

• Press Release - Over 100 Women in Mazar-e-Sharif Ready for Afghan Civil Service (Dari)
• Press Release - Over 100 Women in Mazar-e-Sharif Ready for Afghan Civil Service (Pashto)