Afghanistan

On top of this, years of war and conflict have left millions of people struggling to survive. One third of the population lives below the poverty line. Violence and the fear of violence is rife.

Although the lives of Afghan women and girls have improved since the fall of the Taliban, women and girls still face sexual harassment and rape, physical violence, and early forced marriage in many parts of the country, especially in rural areas. They even face harsh restrictions and violence if they try to work outside the home.

What we do in Afghanistan

We’ve helped to set up discussion groups where local facilitators help other women to understand and practise their rights. We train the facilitators to teach women in their communities vital skills like reading and writing — helping them to take control of their own lives.

Through local partners, we protect children across all five provinces of Afghanistan, focusing on education and play for children affected by conflict — including ex-child soldiers traumatised by war.

We work with schools, education departments and community groups to promote the importance of education for children — especially girls, because they’re often the ones who miss out on going to or finishing school. We run special courses to help more girls catch up on their studies, finish secondary school and enrol into higher education.

How we’re changing lives for good in Afghanistan

We’ve helped 100,000 people in Afghanistan across five provinces: Bamyan, Balkh, Hirat, Jawjan and Kabul.