Kabul, 12^th March: UN-Habitat celebrated the 2018 International Women’s Day in Kabul and eight provinces, recognizing the global movement for women rights. The UN family around the world marked the anniversary of International Women’s Day under the theme “Time Is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”.

In Kabul, UN-Habitat’s Gender Advisor, Ms. Anosha Ejlasi, and Madam Frozan Abdullah, Programme Manager for the Afghanistan Urban Peace Building programme, presented the office Gender Strategy. UN-Habitat currently has 35 percent of senior positions filled by females, an increase of 17 percent over the past two years. The objective is to reach 50% by 2020.

In eight Afghan provinces, UN-Habitat’s staff commemorated International Women’s Day in the presence of mayors and local leaders who showed commitment for the major involvement of women in the implementation of our projects. Celebrations took place in Bamyan, Herat, Laghman, Jalalabad, Parwan, Dikundi, Kunduz, Mazar and Farah.

Urban areas offer women employment opportunities essential for increasing financial independence, better access to healthcare and education and greater prospects for leadership roles, in both the public and the private sector. UN-Habitat is uniquely positioned to ensure the inclusion of women in the planning for rapid growth of urbanization across the globe.

As part of the celebrations, the entire UN family in Afghanistan organized a painting contest with artists from around the country. The Office of the Resident Coordinator in Afghanistan “welcomed the entry into force on 14 February 2018 of a new penal code that contains several progressive provisions, which, coupled with the new law on the elimination of harassment against women and children, significantly improves the legal framework to protect women and girls at home or at work”. The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres stressed that “Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is the unfinished business of our time, and the greatest human rights challenge in our world.”

International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to consider how to accelerate the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, key targets of which include:

• Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary Education leading to relevant and Goal-4 effective learning outcomes.
• Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
• End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

Women and girls are an integral part of our cities and our society. Empowering gender in all our programmes and activities is a pre-condition for achieving sustainable development and inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities (SDG11).

Celebration of International Women’s Day, 12th March, UNOCA Complex, Kabul, Afghanistan

For more information, please contact UN-Habitat’s Head of Communications in Afghanistan, Mr. Koussay Boulaich,Koussay.boulaich@un.org