Afghanistan

Christy Brubaker
Caroline Everidge
Holly Thompson

Background Information
-History

Declared independence 1919.

Invaded by Soviet Union 1979.

Taliban took full control 1996.

US invaded Afghanistan 2001.

Background Information
-Geography/Resources/Economy

Size of Texas

Mountainous and rugged land

Depend on agriculture and raising livestock

Largest producer of opium in the world

Average hourly rate: $1.70-$2.00

About 70% of the population is jobless

Approximately 30.5 million people

Life expectancy:

Women 45

Men 47

Pressing Social Problem

-Violence

Elimination of Violence against Women Act (EVAW) of 2009

Violence against women in Afghanistan peaked in 2013.

Pressing Social Problem

-Education

Considerable increase in school enrollment in the past decade

Girls 2.5 million

Boys outnumber girls 2 to 1

Pressing Social Problem

-Gender Equality

Marriage Act

Divorce

Inheritance

Widows

Bonn Agreement of 2001

Discriminatory Family Code

Social Work

Profession

Afghanistan National Qualifications Framework (ANQF)

Training/Education

Qualifications

Attitudes
The social worker is the doctor of society: The social worker diagnoses and
treats social problems, both at their roots in society, and through the symptoms
that appear in the community, the family, the child. Wahidullah Shinwar, MSW
Program Director, Achiana, an Afghan NGO
The social worker must be the mediator between the society and the person. In
fighting for rights they must understand the true meangin of Holy Quran; that it
is not the same as local custom and belief. They must have the strength and
capacity to teach these things, so that children and families can be protected
even in the most difficult times Program Coordinator, Medica Mondiale, A
Womens NGO

Attitudes Continued
Those who come to help us must be honest people, understand Holy Koran, and
use the knowledge to teach us to fight for ourselves, for our families, and
educate our people. Community elder from Kandahar
To enter the community is not easy, you face many obstacles. In order to
succeed you must work with the people, not for them and not look down on
anybody you must be a person who models what it is to be a friend to all
Even the poorest, most vulnerable, most neglected child must feel free to walk
with you Supervisor, Community Child Protection Program, Afghan NGO

Social Welfare Organizations

-USAid

Agriculture

Democracy & Governance

Economic Growth

Education

Gender & Participant Training

FY 2013
Democracy & Government: 224 M

Education & Social Services: 68.5 M

Stabilization

Environment: 3.2 M

Health
Infrastructure

Economic Growth: 397.4 M

Humanitarian Assistance: 39.7 M

Health: 92.1 M

Peace & Security: 149.8 M

Program Management: 52.2 /m

Social Welfare Organizations

Afghanaid

British development charity: 1983

Rural men, women, & children

Three pillars

Basic Services

Livelihoods

Emergency Assistance & Disaster Risk Reduction

Social Welfare Organization

-Medica Afghanistan

Based in Germany: 2002

Run by Afghan women

Provides aid to women victims of sexual violence in war-torn countries &

crisis zones around the world

First to offer psychosocial counseling to women survivors of violence

First to provide it to women in prison

First to offer legal aid to women accused of crimes or engaged in civil

disputes

First to train professionals in the treatment of traumatized women and girls

References

Afghanaid. (2015). Afghanaid. Retrieved from www.afghanaid.org.uk

Bragin_Silberman School of Social work. (2014) Professional social work for child
protection in Afghanistan. Retrieved from http://www.cpcnetwork.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/06/Feb19_Martha-Bragin_Professional-Social-Work-forChild-Protection-in-Afghanistan.pdf

Child Rights International Network. (2009). Social work curriculum development in

Afghanistan. Retrieved from http://www.crin.org/docs/Social%20Work
%20Curriculum%20Development%20Advo
cacy%20Paper%205%20February
%202009.pdf

International Monetary Fund. (2006). Islamic Republic of Afghanistan selected

issues and statistical appendix. Retrieved from
https://books.google.com/books?id=3Fi4E2IicqsC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=afghani
stan+hourly+wages#v=onepage&q=afghanistan%20hourly%20wages&f=false

References Continued

Mashru, R. (14, January 2014). Violence against women in Afghanistan peaked

in 2013. The Diplomat. Retrieved from http://thediplomat.com

Medica Afghanistan. (2013). Medica Afghanistan. Retrieved from

medicaafghanistan.org/View.aspx?PageAlias=home

Mount Holyoke College. (2015). Background information on Afghanistan.

Retrieved from
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~macne20a/classweb/worldpolitics/final.html

Social Institutions and Gender Index. (2015). Afghanistan. Retrieved from

http://genderindex.org/country/afghanistan

USAid. (2015). Afghanistan. Retrieved from www.usaid.gov/afghanistan