When Being A Woman Feels Like A Death Sentence

Afghanistan tops the world as the most dangerous country for women. Banned from schools, national parks, bath houses, gyms, and sacked and barred from working in government jobs and NGOs, the oppression women and girls face continue to intensify as they find themselves increasingly removed from public places.

Through the Rebuilding Livelihoods project, Hagar Afghanistan works to establish partnerships with companies to provide skills training and employment for women so they can support their families. Over the past year, more than 450 women have been trained in tailoring and are earning a stable income now.

Children are exceptionally vulnerable; they are often targeted with offers of food and a warm bed, only to be trafficked and sold as domestic slaves or for bacha bazi, an illegal practice where pre-pubescent boys are kept for entertainment and sex. The Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) run by Hagar Afghanistan provide safety and protection for vulnerable kids. Here, they get a chance to study, heal and play. Amid the clampdown on education for girls, they are still able to get a basic education in the CFS. Through trauma-informed counselling and care, children learn to rebuild trust and cope with their overwhelming emotions.

The clothing was hand-sewn by 300 ladies in the Hagar Rebuilding Livelihoods project. They worked round the clock and produced 1,800 pieces within two days for those affected by the earthquake.

In the current harsh winter conditions, HAGAR in the last two months provided additional winter blankets and tents to shelter the displaced people from the bitter cold. Temperatures are expected to dip further to minus 30 degrees in January 2024.

Many more families are currently in need of winter blankets, and heating systems to last through winter. Our team in Hagar Afghanistan continues to work and ensure safety for our beneficiaries.

NGOs face an ever growing number of rules and regulations in order to operate. Yet the team in Hagar Afghanistan continues to seek opportunities at every turn to help families rebuild livelihoods, provide education and safety for children, and meet healthcare demands as they arise.

Afghanistan remains at the centre of a crisis, as many families are displaced and women and children increasingly vulnerable with no access to education, livelihoods, healthcare and social security.

We are grateful for all the care and support that many kind donors have extended to the people in Afghanistan. Your financial giving enables the rebuilding and restoration work to continue. Thank you for your practical care and meeting their most immediate needs. As we press on in the year ahead, we hope you would continue to join us in providing for the people of the land.