In Afghanistan, women remain under-represented in the workforce and face significant challenges, including persistent harassment, limited opportunities to education, and inadequate infrastructure or facilities.

Parmela* is from Ghor, a rural province in central Afghanistan. She left Ghor in search of a better education in Kabul. After her studies, USAID’s internship program for women to work as civil servants recruited and prepared her for a career in government. Parmela returned to Ghor at the end of her internship and is currently working for the municipality. Her role is to increase public awareness about good governance and municipality rules and policies. She also creates Municipal Advisory and District Local Development Councils to listen to public complaints and address social problems.

“USAID’s civil service program helped me to get this position, because before joining the internship program, I didn’t know anything about management, leadership, or the civil service,” said Parmela.

Parmela is poised to show how a successful and professional Afghan woman can overcome the common challenges women face in the workplace.

In 2014, the Government of Afghanistan 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, Afghanistan will cultivate a civil service that is more responsive to the needs of its citizens. In December 2018, USAID’s internship program supported the employment of 120 interns by facilitating job placement with more than 70 government partners. So far, the program enrolled over 3,900 women in the internship program and helped 578 women secure employment.

*Name changed to protect identity.