Community councils, known as shuras, have played a critical role in Afghan society for generations. The Arabic word for “consultation,” a shura is used to help resolve conflicts, decide on local issues, educate citizens and respond to the community's needs.
Today, the shura tradition has become a vehicle through which Afghan women are assuming leadership roles to improve the standard of life in their communities.
The predecessor to the Kandahar Women’s Shura was another Afghans for Civil Society program: the Women’s Law Group. Funding for this project was provided by The National Endowment for Democracy.
This program united Afghan women from all walks of life: educated, illiterate, working professionals, stay-at-home mothers, government employees, and NGO workers.
The Kandahar Women's Law Group was the first and only activity in Kandahar exclusive to women to speak freely and openly about their opinions on one of the most important issues in their lives: the law.
Participants met for one year to learn and discuss the Afghan Constitution and the Afghan Civil Code of 1976. From those meetings, many progressive recommendations and suggestions were made on specific laws which the women found extremely unjust.
The women held weekly discussion sessions of women in Kandahar to learn the Civil Code of Afghan Law and learn strategies to advocate for women’s rights in Kandahar.
At the conclusion of the Women’s Law Group, the participants and other women requested to continue a forum where they can further community dialogues and contribute to democratic process. While there are women representatives in the Provincial Shura, a large population of women still feel uncomfortable going to a place dominated by powerful men to present personal problems. A women’s shura is a necessary organization that give ordinary women a chance to come chance to come and present their issues and concerns in women-only gatherings.
Furthermore, with growing insecurity in the Kandahar province, ACS feels it is still important to provide a space for women to speak their opinions and work as one community.
The Kandahar Women’s Shura serves as a women-only forum for ordinary women to present community problems, solutions and other issues.
To date, the women shura members have developed plans and goals they hope to tackle in their work. The shura members also met with the Governor of Kandahar and received his support on the Kandahar Women’s Shura agenda. The women also met with Kandahar Provincial Shura female members to discuss how the two can collaborate in work and goals.
Overall, Kandahar Women’s Shura members want to stay true to the purpose of the forum and continue meeting to discuss important issues to the lives of women, assist in conflict resolution, develop a lecture series to educate young Kandahari women and serve as an advocate-- raising a unified voice for women in Kandahar.
The members assembled for the Kandahar Women’s Shura are:
- President of Shura: Ms. Fahima- Principal of Ayno High School (a girl’s high school in Kandahar)
- Vice-President of Shura: Ms. Rahima- Gender Advisor with Oxfam
- Secretary: Ms. Shakira- Head of Kindergartens- Department of Human Resources
- Ms. Zarghona- Graduate of Sharia & Law
- Ms. Saliha- an engineer by profession, currently works with UNAMA
- Ms. Majaana- Director of Women’s Programs- ACS
- Ms. Zarghona- Senior Admin Assistant in UNICEF Kandahar
- Ms. Saliha Aziz- Gender Assistant- UNDP
- Ms. Aziza- Teacher Trainer in CHA
- Ms. Maagular- Representative from working community
