The Embassy of Afghanistan

shows support for female Afghan graduates of the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS leadership development program

 

WASHINGTON, DC—Ambassador Hakimi and Mrs. Hakimi welcomed eight Afghan women participating in the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS Program and their program coordinators to the Embassy for a congratulatory dinner on Monday, July 23 and then attended their program presentation and graduation on Tuesday at the International Women’s Economic Summit. The women were chosen to participate because they all founded and operate their own successful businesses in Afghanistan.

Mrs. Hakimi dined with the Afghan participants and other guests, including founder of the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women and the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program Dr. Terry Neese, AT&T’s Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer Charlene Lake, President and CEO of Northwood University Keith Pretty, J.D., and radio host Jim Blasingmine of the Small Business Network.

 
The celebration of these women’s accomplishments continued the next day at the International Women’s Economic Summit where the Afghan women business owners presented what they learned from the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program to Ambassador Hakimi and recommended how the Afghan government can improve and encourage more female entrepreneurship in Afghanistan.

After listening to their thoughtful and well done presentation, Ambassador Hakimi commended the participants for their achievements and dedication to their dreams. He also underscored the importance of women, their education, and their contribution to a peaceful Afghanistan.

 

 

“Women are an important pillar of the Afghan society and have proven to be key agents of positive change in our country,” said the Ambassador. “Empowering women, both socio-economically and politically, is of vital importance to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development process. For this reason, the Government of Afghanistan recognizes gender equity and women’s empowerment as a top priority in the overall development agenda of the country.”

Later in the evening, the Afghan participants, along with their Rwandan “sisters,” formally graduated from the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program in a ceremony at which Ambassador Hakimi, a representative of the Rwandan Embassy, and U.S. Ambassador-at-large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer spoke.

Ambassador Verveer highlighted of the immense change and progress made in Afghanistan in the areas of female education and entrepreneurship explaining that the international community “needs to continue working, so [the Afghan and Rwandan women] can continue building the businesses represented here today… and every woman will have the opportunity to fulfill her God-given potential.”

Ambassador Hakimi echoed these thoughts, saying, “Educated women are empowered women. I fully support initiatives like the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program, which empower women to make their countries stronger and to sustain future generations.”

 

Published on Jul 28, 2012 by voaafghanistandari
تعدادی از زنان افغان تجارت پیشه برنامه آموزشی سه هفته ای صلح از راه تجارت را در ایالات متحدۀ امریکا تکمیل نمودند. این برنامه آموزشی برای بهبود سطح زنده گی زنان مهارت های مدیریت تجارت را یاد میدهد. همکارم ژیلا ناصری با چند تن ازین زنان تجارت پیشه در واشنگتن صحبت نموده و این گزارش را تهیه نموده است

 

The PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® program is a training and mentorship program for women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and Rwanda. This program is implemented through three major components —In-Country Education, Leadership Development, and Pay It Forward—which combine to create a continuing program to educate women, promote their business and leadership skills, and to help build stable democracies.

The International Women’s Economic Summit was held at the United States Institute of Peace.

To view photos of the graduates and events, click here.

Facts about Women in Afghanistan:

Afghan women occupy one-fourth of Afghan government jobs, including nine percent at the decision-making level.
Twenty-eight percent of legislators in the Afghan Parliament are women.
Girls make up about 40% of school children in Afghanistan.

Twenty-Four percent of doctors and medical workers in Afghanistan are women.
Other positions like pilots, police officers, army officials and media positions are increasingly being filled by women.

Thirty percent of school teachers and fifteen percent of university teachers are women.
Afghan women are at least a fifty-percent force behind Afghanistan’s vibrant independent media and active civil society groups.
Learn More:

Embassy of Afghanistan—Washington, D.C.
Afghanistan PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Leadership Development Students’ biographies
PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS® Program