The Khaberi Kawen project received funding from the US Embassy in Kabul. Its goal was to empower female members of parliament (MPs) in Afghanistan to use new media and sustainable platforms to communicate and connect with the press, their colleagues, and the public. The project’s activities were tailored to help female MPs expand their networks, practice and enhance their public speaking skills, gain international recognition, and build relationships with the media both nationally and internationally. This initiative was carried out in partnership with Gender Concerns International and was funded by the US Embassy in Kabul.
The project involved conducting a needs assessment training for female Members of Parliament in Afghanistan and organizing a conference for female parliamentarians. HRWMO extended invitations to 70 female MPs to attend the conference held at the parliament conference hall in Kabul on 25th September 2023. The objective of the conference was to introduce the media and communication project to the female parliamentarians. The conference was attended by female MPs, Ms. Sabra Bano (director of Gender Concerns International), Ms. Caroline Ferrari (Communications Officer from the US Embassy in Kabul), as well as national and international media representatives.
The project involved providing training workshops to female MPs on radio communication, online communication, and public appearance. Within the project, 45 female MPs were trained in various skills such as writing a leadership autobiography and press release, hosting a press conference, creating blogs, writing a speech, and conducting radio/TV interviews. They also learned how to create and manage Facebook and Twitter accounts. The female MPs who attended the training reacted very positively, expressing their enthusiasm for using new media and sustainable platforms to communicate and network with the press, their peers, and the public in Afghanistan.
The female MPs underwent training workshops and were subsequently given on-air radio programs to help them practice and improve their media and communication skills. These radio programs were broadcast by Gorbat ration station in Kabul, which reaches 1 million listeners. Each female MP focused on a different topic, such as women’s roles in the upcoming Presidential elections, women’s rights, access to justice, and strengthening the rule of law. These workshops and radio programs provided the female MPs with a platform to express their opinions and develop expertise in creating effective and sustainable networks.
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For more information on this initiative, please get in touch with Wali A. Shirzad.