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The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and thesubsequent fall of the Taliban in Afghanistanprovided a potent backdrop for the formation of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council (USAWC). The

plight of Afghan women and girls captured the hearts of theAmerican people. The counterpoint of their oppression, thehorrific attack on innocent citizens in the United States,underscored their brutal oppression. The American public wasoutraged, particularly American women. First Lady Laura Bushcaptured these sentiments in her historic radio address onNovember 17, 2001. Americans wanted to respond. Harnessingthe empathy, compassion, and energy of these individuals was tobecome the impetus for forming the U.S.-Afghan Women’sCouncil—a mechanism to direct public and private resources tohelp Afghan women re-establish their rightful place in societyand contribute to the rebuilding of Afghanistan.

The stars were aligned. Influential leaders both in the White House and State Department began developing the idea of a private-public partnership to address the future of women in Afghanistan; theywere inspired by the determination of several remarkable womenin the private sector who were prepared to develop and fund newinitiatives. The idea of a Council that would gather ideas andtalent, channeling them into a private-public response, emergedin partnership with the Afghan government and the enthusiasticsupport of the President and the First Lady.

On January 28, 2002, President George W. Bush and AfghanInterim Authority Chairman Hamid Karzai announced in a jointstatement, following a White House meeting on security, stabilityand reconstruction for Afghanistan, that they would “…agree tolaunch a joint U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council to promote private-public partnerships and mobilize resources to ensure women cangain the skills and education deprived them under years of

First Lady Laura Bush—Historic Radio AddressNOVEMBER 17, 2001

First Lady Laura Bush called on all Americans to ensurethat “dignity and opportunity will be secured for all thewomen and children of Afghanistan. She said, “Theplight of women and children in Afghanistan is amatter of deliberate human cruelty, carried out bythose who seek to intimidate and control. Civilizedpeople throughout the world are speaking out inhorror—not only because our hearts break for the

women and children in Afghanistan, but also becausein Afghanistan we see the world the terrorists wouldlike to impose on the rest of us. All of us have anobligation to speak out… Fighting brutality againstwomen and children… is… a commitment shared bypeople of good will on every continent…. The fightagainst terrorism is also a fight for the rights anddignity of women.”

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Taliban misrule….” The Council was officially established as apresidential initiative in the State Department under thedirection of the Under Secretary for Global Affairs and the Officeof International Women’s Issues.

Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, the Under Secretary for Global Affairs and the Council’s U.S. chair, provided strong, collaborative leadership in initiating the Council’s work. From 2002-2009, she led the Council along with the Afghan co-chairs, startingwith the Minister for Women’s Affairs, Sima Samar, a dedicatedadvocate for human rights and women’s issues, and ForeignMinister, Abdullah Abdullah. First Lady Laura W. Bush (laternamed as Honorary Chair), from the beginning, demonstrated adeep and enduring commitment to the women of Afghanistanand to the Council. She was and remains a driving force for thework of the Council. Individuals from the U.S. government,private sector, and philanthropy who were willing to commit toorganizing resources and support for specific projects wereinvited by the Under Secretary to join the Council as members.Cabinet members, including the Secretary of State, Secretary ofHealth and Human Services, Secretary of Education, Secretary ofLabor, and Secretary of Agriculture joined as HonoraryMembers, as did a Justice of the Supreme Court.

The inaugural meeting of the Council was held on April 24,2002 at the State Department in Washington, D.C. This meetingwould bring to fruition a mechanism for creating private-publicpartnerships to rebuild Afghanistan with a focus on women andgirls and to ensure that the significant U.S. governmentexpenditures in support of Afghan reconstruction includedprograms targeted specifically at women. The Afghan Minister ofWomen’s Affairs, responding to the needs articulated by Afghanwomen, identified several key areas of need: education, jobcreation, political training, capacity building, and health care;

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these would become the major pillars of work for the Council.The Council agreed to its first project, implemented in fall 2002,a Leadership and Management International Visitor’s Bureautraining program in the United States for 12 women in theAfghan government ministries.

A Gift Fund was established at the State Department in May2002 to allow for the solicitation and acceptance of privatecontributions to support Council projects in Afghanistan.Additionally, the U.S. Congress appropriated over $1 million inthe FY2002 Afghanistan Supplemental for the State Departmentas seed money to fund initial Council projects, includingexchange programs to train Afghan women in the U.S. andgrants to NGOs to provide training programs in Afghanistan inareas such as literacy, computer skills, human rights awareness,and political leadership.

All members of the Council were expected to initiate a projectthat would benefit the women and girls of Afghanistan andaddress the critical areas of need identified by the Afghan leaderson the Council. The earliest initiatives included ARZU (“hope”in Dari), a social entrepreneurship initiative that providesincome, access to education and healthcare to Afghan womenweavers by sourcing and selling the rugs they weave; a PBS mediatraining program that led to a widely acclaimed documentaryproduced by Afghan women on their plight under the Taliban,Afghanistan Unveiled; a hospital intervention targeting maternalmortality; the Grossman Burn Center for families; a TriWestHealthcare Alliance burn prevention campaign; SunshineFoundation scholarships for Afghan women to attend U.S.colleges; Daimler Chrysler support to provide women access tomicrocredit loans; a dental clinic sponsored by the New HudsonFoundation; “Project Artemis,” an intensive entrepreneurship training program at Thunderbird School of Global Management;

Excerpts from a Speech Delivered by Ambassador Paula Dobriansky at the Launch of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s CouncilJANUARY 29, 2002

Long denied basic education, health care, andopportunities to provide for their families, the resilientwomen of Afghanistan are once again regainingcontrol over their lives and futures. We stand resolute inour support for Afghan women. …To that end, I ampleased to announce that we have agreed to establisha U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council. As the Afghan proverbsays “a river is made drop by drop.” This public-privatepartnership will link our Afghan colleagues withAmerican partners, in academia, the private sector,media, health services, and other key sectors. This willmobilize private resources and foster an exchange of

information and experience to support thereconstruction of Afghanistan, as well as ensure follow-up. And, it will bolster the pivotal role that women willplay in rebuilding Afghanistan. We are heartened tosee girls returning to schools, mothers providing fortheir children, and women returning to the workplace.Our efforts are a part of the restoration of rights forAfghan women. As Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullahaptly stated “the life of every single woman and man inthis country has changed for the better…But that is notthe end of the road, that is rather the beginning.”

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“Afghan Women Leaders CONNECT,” an initiative that supported women-led non-profits that deliver education, legal aid,and health support; and a training program for women judges.

Ambassador Dobriansky began leading delegations to Kabul inJanuary 2003, alternating Council meetings between capitalstwice a year and adding new initiatives and programs. TheCouncil meeting of April 2005 held in Kabul was a particularlymomentous event. First Lady Laura Bush, a champion for thewomen of Afghanistan, who had met so many Afghan women inthe United States, longed to see their country. Her Chief of Staff,Anita McBride, made this a top priority and succeeded inimplementing this historic “secret mission,” despite all thesecurity challenges. During this trip, Mrs. Bush visited someimportant Council-led initiatives and projects. At the NationalWomen’s Dormitory she inaugurated the Women’s TeacherTraining Institute at Kabul University. She also toured theAfghan Women’s Business Association marketplace, planted a tree with the Women’s Conservation Corps and announced theestablishment of the International School of Kabul (K-12) andthe American University of Afghanistan. U.S. Secretary ofEducation Margaret Spellings was on hand to sign a formalmemorandum of understanding to establish these entities alongwith Minister of Education Noor Mohammed Qarqeen andMinister of Higher Education Dr. Sayed Amir Shah Hassanyaar.Mrs. Bush also spent time visiting with U.S. soldiers at BagramAir Force Base.

Throughout the Administration of President George W. Bush,the White House, the State Department, the Afghan governmentand the private sector continued their strong commitment to thewomen of Afghanistan through the work of the U.S.-AfghanWomen’s Council. Since the Council was a presidential initiativewhich would end with the Administration, in 2006 Ambassador

In December 2008, we had the distincthonor of bringing the U.S.-AfghanWomen’s Council to GeorgetownUniversity, under the direction of PhyllisMagrab and the Center for Child andHuman Development. By doing so, wesought to use the unique resources ofour community—our Catholic and Jesuittradition, commitment to service andsocial justice, and academicexcellence—to advance scholarship andfoster multidisciplinary collaboration tofurther empower Afghan women. Wecontinue to pursue these goals today,uniting leaders from government, theprivate sector, and the Academy todevelop new opportunities for Afghan women and children in theareas of literacy and education,entrepreneurship, political leadership,and health care. It has been a distinctprivilege to lead this effort, and welook forward to the next decade ofcollaborative and innovative work.

Excerpt from an Interviewwith John J. DeGioia,President, GeorgetownUniversity

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Dobriansky began thinking about transitioning its work to theprivate sector. She had several meetings with relevant offices atthe State Department as well as the White House on appropriateinstitutions that should be considered to carry forward itsmission. Several were considered, but in the end, GeorgetownUniversity, an institution that had a long standing commitmentto Afghanistan, including hosting two Afghan-AmericanSummits on Recovery and Reconstruction, was approached andits President, John J. DeGioia was enthusiastic about homing theCouncil in the university.

The Council always had bipartisan support. Now it needed itmore than ever. In the incoming Administration of PresidentObama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was a potentchampion for the women of Afghanistan and the U.S.-AfghanWomen’s Council, citing the Council as an example of the powerof private-public partnerships in her confirmation hearings. Asthe Council was transitioned to its new home at GeorgetownUniversity, Melanne S. Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for GlobalWomen’s Issues and John J. DeGioia, President of GeorgetownUniversity, agreed to serve as the U.S. Co-Chairs. PresidentKarzai already had pledged his ongoing commitment to theCouncil in a meeting in Kabul, Afghanistan, November 20, 2008with Under Secretary for Global Affairs, Paula Dobriansky; Mrs.Shamim Jawad, wife of the Afghan Ambassador to the UnitedStates; and Dr. Phyllis Magrab, representing GeorgetownUniversity (also future Vice-Chair of the Council). PresidentKarzai agreed that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Women’sAffairs would continue as the Afghan co-chairs. Mrs. Bush agreedto remain as an Honorary Advisor.

Financial support for the infrastructure of the Council came fromboth public and private sources—in-kind support from theuniversity, an initial grant from the Goldman Sachs Foundation,

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Why the Transition to the New Administration Was So SmoothFirst of all, as senator, Senator Clinton was not astranger to the work of the U.S.-Afghan Women’sCouncil. She had worked from the earliest days of theBush Administration, which coincided with her electionas senator, to put a focus on (as she had as First Lady)the plight of Afghan Women under the Taliban. Thenwhen the opportunity came in 2002 with theoverthrow of the Taliban to really focus on Afghanwomen, she of course was an extraordinary championof that effort…. We were all working in concert fromdifferent places—she, from the Senate and Mrs. Bush,from the Administration…. So it was as if we were partof a whole no matter where we came from acrossparty lines. One of the things Secretary Clinton didwas to convene an informal hearing in the Senate thatmany, many senators participated in, on why theAfghan women themselves were going to be critical tobuilding the new future for their country….

Secondly, Hillary Clinton, whether First Lady, Senator,and now Secretary, has been a huge champion of therole that the private sector, each individual in civilsociety, has to play in any of these undertakings thatare critical to our world and to our country….

And as the baton was being passed and theadministrations were changing, there was a recognitionthat this (the USAWC) needed to continue. There hadbeen a vital role for the State Department as a co-partner in this effort which now would change, andGeorgetown came to the fore and stepped in to bethat extraordinary good citizen in this process.Secretary Clinton’s support was vital because, as theSecretary of State, to say that the U.S. Governmentwanted to continue to play our share or play our rolein the work that the Council represented was acommitment that she made from the earliest days.

Taking Stock of the CouncilI think the vision for the Council has been a consistent vision and is one that recognizes that we all have a role to play in ensuring that Afghan women are not only able to sit at the table but be effective at the table, fullyparticipate in their country whether it is economically

or politically or in building institutions, and runningNGOs—the full gamut of what is necessary.

Some of us are uniquely suited for that and, of course,government is uniquely suited to doing what it has a responsibility to do which is to conduct foreign policy, to ensure in the conduct of that foreign policy that we areespousing the role of women in peace and security, therole of women in Afghanistan as fully participating.

I think when one sits down and looks at the record ofcommitment and contributions that have been made—from schools that have been organized and supported,to trainings that have ranged from supportingdiplomats to women starting small businesses, toworking hand-in-glove with the government so that ourown development, policies and political interventionswere working in a way that was steering this wholeeffort along the same lines—one does not stand outover another. It’ has been the range of activity and therange of commitment…and I think that’s actually beenthe success of the Council. It hasn’t been one way fitseverybody. It has allowed people to say, “I care aboutwhat happens in Afghanistan as an American…. I careabout the women in Afghanistan because I know theyare a big part of the solution and, therefore, I look atmyself and what I can bring to this cause that willenable it to flower—no matter how small mycontribution might be.”

The Future of the CouncilAs the troops will draw down, this will mean even morethat the investments that have been made need to beboth accelerated and this is the unique virtue of the Council. We have been striving to build capacity which is all about sustainability. Because if women have the know-how and the where-with-all and the direction, they will be able to continue to move their country in a good direction…. The Council has played a role in constantly keeping a focus on the role that women have to play in Afghanistan…. So as I frequently have said, to me, the Council reflects the best of America because it is America coming together, as we do best, not as Democrats or Republicans but as citizens and the fullness of that word, as members of the business community and members oforganizations and certainly as officials in government.

Excerpts from an Interview with Melanne S. VerveerAMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES

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Shamim JawadPRESIDENT OF AYENDA FOUNDATION

I grew up in Afghanistan in times ofcomplete peace and relativeprosperity, but I have also witnessedtimes of adversity and unspeakablehardships for the women ofAfghanistan. It is in the latter contextthat the work of the U.S.-AfghanWomen’s Council in recreating lostopportunities, re-empowering ourwomen and generating hope for theless fortunate generation of the Afghan women that is so imperative and crucial.

The most sustainable way to fullyempower women is to educate themand offer opportunities for financialindependence. The U.S.-AfghanWomen’s Council not only understandsbut practically implements this precept.It has been working both todomestically help improve the conditionin our society, but it is also buildingstrong international bonds of friendshipand sisterhood between determined butneglected Afghan women andprominent U.S. leaders and institutions.As we celebrate 10 years of success ofUSAWC, I feel privileged as an Afghanwoman to be part of its outstandingteam and an honor to work with itsleadership, especially Former First LadyMrs. Laura Bush.

a later grant from the Abbott Fund, and a State Departmentcontribution of a Foreign Service Officer to GeorgetownUniversity to serve as the Council’s Executive Director—a modelof the private-public partnership embodied by the Council itself.

The Council continued to add new members with projects likeKate Spade New York’s rebuilding of the cashmere industry andemployment of women; building schools and computer labs forgirls through the Lamia Afghan Foundation, NooristanFoundation, and Ayenda; expanding higher educationopportunities at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF)which graduated its first class in May 2011 with several womenreceiving diplomas; creating peer-to-peer mentoring programsbetween Georgetown University students and their AUAFcounterparts; implementing midwifery training by AbbottLaboratories; producing culturally appropriate Sesame Streetepisodes; using cell phone technology to promote literacy amongrural Afghan women; and conducting more intensive trainingprograms for Afghan women leaders at Georgetown University.Successful entrepreneurship and business training programscontinued to be a hallmark of the Council such as ProjectArtemis, 10,000 Women, and PEACE THROUGHBUSINESS®. Graduates of these programs began to train otheraspiring businesswomen, using teaching materials developed byCouncil members. Council members produced engagingpublications, such as Afghanistan in Transition to highlight theachievements of the U.S.-Afghan partnership. And Mrs. Bush’ssupport remained unwavering. She hosted two major Councilevents with the George W. Bush Institute: Educating andEmpowering the Women and Girls of Afghanistan: A Symposium onEducation and Literacy in 2010 in conjunction with SMUAnnette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development and Building Afghanistan’s Future: Promoting Women’sFreedom and Advancing their Economic Opportunity in 2011.

Ambassador Said T. Jawad(FORMER AMBASSADOR OF AFGHANISTAN TO THE UNITED STATES)CHAIRMAN OF FOUNDATION FOR AFGHANISTAN

The Council’s leadership and commitment have beeninstrumental in bringing the highest level of attention tothe plight of Afghan women, the most underservedsegment of our society. In the past, crucial to ourhistory, many prominent members of the Counciltravelled to and implemented projects in Afghanistan’sremotest provinces. For instance, the female Governorof Bamiyan and the proud people of this beautiful andisolated province still talk about the historic visit of U.S.First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush to their isolated province.

In the past 10 years the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Councilhas brought significant public and private-sector

resources, as well as personal passion and commitmentof its members together, in a powerful synergy, topromote women’s empowerment through education,health care, leadership skills and capacity building forfinancial independence. Those who know Afghanistanwell fully understand and appreciate the magnitude of fundamental positive changes that our society has gone through in the past decade. As the Council celebratesits tenth year of thriving work, our sincere appreciationgoes to USAWC for being a trusted partner in thistriumphant but uncompleted journey. We hope that theCouncil stays at our side until we complete our intricatecrossing to pluralism and prosperity.

Excerpts from an Interview with President George W. Bush

All statistics show that societies without empoweringwomen are societies that can’t provide peace. TheU.S.-Afghan Women’s Council was an attempt toencourage American women to inspire and supportAfghan women knowing that Afghan women had beensuppressed for a long period of time.

One of the real challenges for our country and one of the most important things about the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council is that it is a vehicle to remind our country thatisolationism endangers women in Afghanistan. Thefundamental question is ‘Do we care?’ The U.S.-AfghanWomen’s Council shows that not only do we care, butthat we are going to do something about it.

…And the Council is now going to have a larger calling—larger than I thought because we are all hopeful that an Afghan democracy will not only take hold, but will takeroot and this has been hard. It has been hard mainlybecause the country has been so ravaged and so poor. The U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council can take pride in how they have helped women; the statistics prove it. There

are results you can point to. This is not just a feel good organization. The U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council can say, “Here is what has been done and here is what needs to be done.” …Americans are so anxious for results and they should be; they should be demanding results with a certain realism and that’s where the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council can help. You can say, “Here is what happened—extraordinary progress in a very short period of time,”(even though 10 years doesn’t seem that short to somepeople)…. American women are really going to have tomake the case on behalf of the Afghan women.

The Council needs to keep doing what it has been doing and to be an advocate for continued years ofinvolvement… You will need to continue to expand theCouncil. I don’t know if the membership is growing—but what you don’t want to do is to make the Council insular. We founded it 10 years ago and many of the samepeople have been involved for 10 years. Sometimesorganizations tend to get kind of hemmed in. We don’twant that; we want to grow…. There’s a lot to do inAfghanistan so there’s a lot left for the Council to do.

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The U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council—comprised of compassionate,dedicated, hardworking individualswho give of themselves to help womenand children in Afghanistan—plays anessential role as a uniting partnership,bringing the individual parts togetherto form an effective and powerful forcefor good. Improving donor coordinationis more important now than ever, andwe are glad to see that the Council isincreasingly reaching out not only todonors, but also to Afghan-Americans,students, and other interestedindividuals. By working together, wecan all accomplish more for the womenof Afghanistan.

Ambassador EklilAhmad HakimiAMBASSADOR OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN TO THE UNITED STATES

The successes of the Council have been many—improving healthcare, expanding educational opportunities for women and girls,increasing economic opportunities, and developing womenleaders in the public and private sector. Graphically, one councilmember described the road to this success; “Initially it felt likedigging at a mountain with a spoon; then the spoon became ashovel, and the shovel became a bulldozer.”

When Council members are asked about the value of the Council, a common theme arises: the Council provides camaraderie,synergies, support, opportunities to share different ideas and a“spiritual home” for those who care about the women and girls inAfghanistan. All the members are eager to return as a Council toAfghanistan, awaiting a more secure environment. The Council isa reflection of the members’ passion and dedication and of the courage and determination of the Afghan women who are partners in the work. Afghan women do not want to be seen as victimsbut as the potential leaders they are.

Looking to the future, the Council must continue to beresponsive to the many changes and challenges on the ground byadding new partners with creative solutions and keeping alive thecommitment to a better life for the women, girls, and theirfamilies in Afghanistan.

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Hillary Rodham Clinton, U.S. Secretary of StateMEETING WITH AFGHAN WOMEN MINISTERS, MAY 13, 2010

We know that women are central to long-term stability and our strategy to promote security, goodgovernance, and economic and social developmentinside Afghanistan.

The United States will continue to target assistance towomen in areas ranging from girls’ education, to betterhealth services—particularly maternal health—toprotecting women from violence, to enhancing theirroles in agriculture and the economy.

I pledged to President Karzai that we would notabandon Afghanistan in its quest for peace and long-term stability, and we will not.

And I make the same pledge to the women ofAfghanistan. We will not abandon you. We will standwith you always. I am so impressed and admiring of thecontributions that women have made in all ofAfghanistan’s history, but particularly in recent historyand especially in the last years. And I will be theirpartner and their supporter as they continue to makeimprovements in their lives and the lives of theirchildren and families.

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EDUCATION/LITERACYPROGRAMS• Afghan Teacher Education Project. The

U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council (USAWC),in cooperation with the State Department’sBureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,directed $1 million for a project at theUniversity of Nebraska from 2002-2003 toprovide training for Afghan women teachersin grades K-12.

• The American University of Afghanistan(AUAF) is Afghanistan’s only private, not-for-profit institution of higher education,offering internationally-supported degreeprograms in a range of competitive areas.With funding from the U.S. Agency forInternational Development (USAID), thedoors opened in 2006 with 57 students.Today, more than 20% of its 800 studentsare women.

• The AYENDA Foundation, established in2005 by Council members Shamim Jawadand Tim McBride, builds and operatesschools, funds health programs, sports,scholarships, trainings, and skillsdevelopment programs. In 2011 Councilmember Dr. Marna Whittington and TheAlliance Group established a computer labat the AYENDA Learning Center for theschool and the community.

• Building and Supporting Local Schools.Council member Karen Hughes workedwith local churches and the Austincommunity to build and renovate severalschools for girls and boys in a war-torn areanear Mazar-e-Sharif, in partnership with the

Seattle-based Journey with an AfghanSchool. The team also raised funds forteacher training, operations, supplies and acomputer center.

• Conference on Educating andEmpowering the Women and Girls ofAfghanistan. In March 2010 PresidentGeorge W. Bush and Council HonoraryAdvisor Mrs. Laura W. Bush co-sponsored aconference with the USAWC and theAnnette Caldwell Simmons School ofEducation at Southern MethodistUniversity to address challenges andprogress in education in Afghanistan.

• The Foundation for Afghanistan,established by Council memberAmbassador Said T. Jawad, invests insecondary and university education to trainthe next generation of Afghan leaders. TheFoundation awards AUAF scholarships andpartners with U.S. universities and collegesto offer scholarships to Afghan students,particularly girls.

• Friends of the American University ofAfghanistan (AUAF), founded by Councilmember Leslie M. Schweitzer, supports AUAF. Funds support scholarships, academic programs, and new buildings including thenew International Center for AfghanWomen’s Economic Development being builton the International Campus with fundingfrom the U.S. Department of Defense.

• International School of Kabul (ISK),operated by OASIS International Schools,opened in 2005 to provide Afghan childrenwith a first-rate education through

U.S.-AFGHAN WOMEN’S COUNCIL

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES 2002 to 2012

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U.S.-style curricula to help prepare themfor higher education and leadership roles.Current enrollment is approximately 260students, 39% of whom are girls. Studentsrepresent 27 countries, with more than halffrom Afghanistan.

• The Lamia Afghan Foundation, foundedby Council members Lt. General USAF(ret.) John Bradley and Mrs. Jan Bradley,built and equipped three schools andcurrently is renovating another, havingraised $375,000 in private donations.Working closely with the Minister ofEducation, they obtained certification fornationwide use of HOOPOE Books inelementary and secondary schools.

• Mobile Literacy Project, a USAWCinitiative at Georgetown University, funded by the Geraldine P. Waldorf Foundation with support from Roshan Telecommunications,is partnering with the Afghan Institute ofLearning (AIL) to use mobile phonetechnology to promote basic literacy amongwomen in rural Afghanistan through textmessaging and classroom sessions.

• Mothers as First Teachers, a newinitiative chaired by Council member Jill Iscol, will develop effective strategiesdrawing on the latest research in earlychildhood development to enable Afghanparents to help their young children achievetheir full potential. Programs promotingbest practices in early childhooddevelopment will be implemented inWomen’s Resource Centers and Women’s Gardens.

• The Nooristan Foundation, led byCouncil member Mariam Atash Nawabi,supports rural education. The Foundationestablished the first primary school inPasigam village and is building a permanentschool to be powered by solar energy. Itsupports teacher training through a varietyof initiatives, including partnering withAIL, and led a bicycle drive to help ruralchildren get to school.

• Sesame Workshop, Tolo TV and LemarTelevision, with a grant from the StateDepartment, produced 26 Afghan-adaptedSesame Street episodes in the Dari andPashto languages, celebrating the diversityof young Afghan children from varyingbackgrounds. Tolo and Lemar intend tocontinue production of these high qualityeducational content programs.

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• The Sunshine Lady Foundation, under the leadership of Council member DorisBuffett, supports scholarships for studentsat the American University of Afghanistanand scholarships for the Initiative toEducate Afghan Women which providesAfghan women the opportunity tocomplete four-year degree programs atuniversities in the U.S.

• The Women’s Teacher Training Institutewas established in September 2004 with$30 million from USAID and $100,000 indonations of computers and software fromMicrosoft and DELL computer companies.The Institute is now part of Afghanistan’sNational Literacy Center which continuesto operate with USAID support.

SELF-SUFFICIENCYPROGRAMS• Agricultural Entrepreneurship Program,

initiated by USDA in 2005, the Universityof Nebraska, and the U.S. Department ofState, is a program for Afghan women inthe agriculture industry, offering advancedtraining and access to microloans forbusiness start-ups.

• ARZU STUDIO HOPE, founded by Councilmember Connie K. Duckworth in 2004with funding from USAID, providessustainable, fair labor, artisan-basedemployment for women and workerbenefits including education, health care,and community development projects.Proceeds from ARZU’s naturally-dyedcarpets and hand-woven Peace Cord™bracelets support ARZU social programs.

• Building Afghanistan’s Future:Promoting Women’s Freedom andAdvancing their Economic Opportunity.In March 2011 President George W. Bushand Council Honorary Advisor Mrs. LauraW. Bush, with the USAWC, hosted aconference to address the urgent need toprotect the rights of Afghan women andillustrate the societal benefits of creatingeconomic opportunities for women.

• Daimler Chrysler, through Councilmember Tim McBride and the Foundationfor International Community Assistance(FINCA), provided $35,000 in microloansto women-owned businesses through localbanks in 2003. An additional $29 millionwas awarded by the World Bank, the U.S.Government and other donors in 2005 toassist more than 30,000 Afghan clients overthe next three years.

• Global Summit of Women/HandicraftTraining. In 2002, the Global Summit ofWomen held in Barcelona, Spain donated$10,000 for job-skills training for Afghanwomen. Through this program Shuhada, anAfghan NGO, trained women as weaversand provided each program participant witha loom to produce textiles.

• Kate Spade New York (KSNY), under themanagement of Council member SyndeyPrice, partners with Women for WomenInternational to train and employ Afghanwomen artisans, pairing traditional Afghanand KSNY’s signature designs in the Afghan cashmere industry. Jewelry andother fashion accessories are being addedthis year, creating an expected 1500 jobs by 2013.

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• The Lamia Afghan Foundation partnerswith Special Operations Cultural SupportTeams, Checker Distributors and Clara’sCalling to provide sewing machines andsupplies for sewing projects led by U.S.Military Female Engagement Teams in sixprovinces, as well as four other Afghanwomen-owned sewing training programs infour provinces.

• The Lamia Afghan Foundation partnerswith Marshall Plan Charities to achievesustainable, self-sufficient “model villages”with wells, crops, a school, a vocationalcenter, and a clinic. The first is Khairabadin Herat Province. The Foundation alsopartners with ROC Wheels, A Leg To StandOn (ALTSO) and the Kabul OrthopedicOrganization to provide wheelchairs andprosthetics to disabled children.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture CochranFellowships. In 2004, USDA sponsoredwomen from five provinces in Afghanistanfor a job training program in agribusinessthrough its Cochran Fellowship Program inthe United States.

• Vocational Workforce Development.Council member Charlie Ponticelli andLori Blaker of Technical Training Inc./TTiGlobal will train Afghan women and youthto start and run automotive technicianbusinesses, offering an establishedcurriculum based on guidelines for General Service Technicians, skills whichare highly transferable to other industrysectors within Afghanistan.

• Women’s Conservation Corps. A divisionof the Afghan Conservation Corps, this $1 million initiative was established in 2004 by the State Department’s Bureau of

Population, Refugees and Migration totrain vulnerable and unskilled women inKabul to rehabilitate Afghanistan’senvironment by growing flowers andvegetables and planting trees.

BUSINESS EDUCATION• Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Women, under

the leadership of Council member DinaPowell, is a $100 million, five-year initiativeto provide business and managementtraining to 10,000 underserved womenaround the world. Since 2008, 150 Afghanwomen have graduated from the programand 150 more are being trained inpartnership with AUAF and ThunderbirdSchool of Global Management.

• The Institute for the EconomicEmpowerment of Women, led by Councilmember Dr. Terry Neese, offers the PEACETHROUGH BUSINESS® program. Since2006 the business education, public policyadvocacy, and mentoring program forAfghan and Rwandan women hasgraduated over 200 entrepreneurs withmore than 80% of its graduates still leadingprosperous businesses today.

• Project Artemis, created by Councilmember Barbara Barrett in 2005, hasbrought 63 promising Afghanbusinesswomen to Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona for twoweeks of intensive, high-levelentrepreneurship training and mentoring,enabling them to cultivate their businesses,create jobs, and grow the Afghan economy.The next group will be welcomed in 2013.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES 2002 TO 2012

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• Project Artemis Scholars Training.USAWC organized leadership training,professional consultations, and networkingfor 19 Afghan businesswomen from theProject Artemis program in November2010. The program was sponsored byGoldman Sachs 10,000 Women andincluded a briefing at the White House and a reception at the Afghan Embassy.

• Entrepreneurship Toolkit. USAWC,Goldman Sachs, the Institute for EconomicEmpowerment of Women, Thunderbird,and Northwood University developed anentrepreneurs’ guidebook to serve as atoolkit for graduates of USAWCentrepreneurship programs to share whatthey learned with other aspiring Afghanwomen business owners. The toolkit isavailable in both English and Dari.

HEALTH CARE PROGRAMS• Abbott, under the leadership of Council

member Katherine Pickus, partners withDirect Relief International and The AfghanInstitute for Learning (AIL) to trainmidwives, to support five AIL clinics (threein Herat, two in Kabul) and to offer five-day community health workshops. Abbott has given more than $700,000 in grants to AIL and more than $4 million inproduct donations.

• Afghan Family Health Book. In 2004, theDepartment of Health and Human Servicesand LEAPFROG Enterprises Inc. publishedthe Afghan Family Health Book. These“talking books,” which teach basic health,hygiene, and disease prevention, weredistributed via hospitals, clinics, andwomen’s centers in Afghanistan.

• The Grossman Burn Foundation, createdby Council members Dr. Peter and RebeccaGrossman, provides burn training andequipment and a support structure forbetter physical and psychologicalhealthcare, including online counseling forwomen. The Foundation helped an Afghangirl horrifically disfigured from a burninjury, a woman mutilated by her husband,and countless others.

• The Lamia Afghan Foundation has worked with Indira Gandhi Hospital, Children’sHospital, CURE International Hospital,Afshar Hospital and The Afghan NationalMilitary Hospital to provide medicalequipment including anesthesiologymachines, operating room tables, examtables, infant incubators, wheelchairs, babybeds and thousands of pounds of urgentlyneeded medical supplies.

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• The Nooristan Foundation, working incollaboration with the Afghan Midwives Association, provided refresher training for midwives in Takhar province, reducing thenumber of deaths during childbirth sincethe training began and providing womenwith a career that gives them greater socialstatus, respect, and empowerment.

• The New Hudson Foundation, under theleadership of Council member CarolineFirestone, established Afghanistan’s first community dental care program in Kabul in 2006. The Foundation also works to combat leishmaniasis disease and supports hospitalrestoration and management, reforestationprojects, school upgrades, and the work ofthe Afghan Red Crescent Society.

• TriWest Healthcare Alliance, under theleadership of Council member DavidMcIntyre, provided $1 million to SOZOInternational for a four-year publicawareness and burn prevention campaign inAfghanistan (2007-2011). SOZO createdand offered its burn prevention educationcurriculum in schools, clinics, hospitals, and communities.

• REACH Program/Midwifery Training. In2003, the Council helped establish the pilotphase of USAID’s Rural Education andCommunity Health Care Initiative (REACH) to train midwives and community health workers. This pilot program evolvedinto an ongoing USAID program that hastrained more than 1,500 Afghan midwives.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES 2002 TO 2012

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LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS• Afghan Women Civil Service Training.

In July 2009, the Council and theGeorgetown University Center for Childand Human Development conductedexecutive leadership training for sevensenior women in the Afghan civil service.The women subsequently formed aLeadership Caucus of women whichactively works to increase the numbers andrank of women in the executive service.

• Afghan Women Diplomats Training. InMarch 2010, the Department of State’sOffice of Global Women’s Issues organizeda training and professional developmentprogram for 10 Afghan women diplomats.Subsequently all 10 were promoted at theirnext review.

• Afghan Women Judges Training. Since2004, the International Association ofWomen Judges and the Association ofWomen Judges in Afghanistan have trainedwomen judges in family, criminal, and civillaw, funded by a grant from the StateDepartment. The program also hasprovided legal and judicial awareness classesfor high school girls and their teachers.

• Afghan Women Leaders CONNECT,founded by Council member Diana RowanRockefeller in 2002, identifies and supportseffective and accountable Afghan women-led nonprofits that deliver education, health support, and legal aid services. It provides up to two years of in-depth, hands-on technicalassistance and is using social media topublish women’s stories and projects.

• Capacity Building Project/AfghanMinistry of Labor. Working with The AsiaFoundation, the Department of Laborcreated a program to increase knowledgeand awareness of Afghanistan’s new laborcode and internationally recognized corelabor standards including anti-discrimination practices among judges,workers, and employers.

• Family Law Study. In cooperation withUSAWC, the Woodrow Wilson Center andRAND Corporation researched andpublished a document, pro-bono, entitledBest Practices: Progressive Family Laws inMuslim Countries, depicting family laws in12 Muslim-majority nations.

• PlanetPix Media, co-founded by Council member Mariam Atash Nawabi, is leading an initiative called the Afghan Women’s MediaNetwork and has produced programs using satire and comedy to teach about democracy and governance and to address key socialissues including domestic violence, forcedmarriages, and family relations.

• The Paley Center for Media, led byCouncil member Pat Mitchell, convened asenior-level gathering of U.S. and Afghanmedia professionals in March 2010 toidentify training and mentoring needs forAfghan women journalists, reporters, andproducers, followed by a series of videoconferences, professional exchanges, andmentoring sessions.

• PBS/Afghanistan Unveiled. From 2002-03 PBS, under Council member Pat Mitchell, partnered with The AsiaFoundation and the AINA Media andCulture Center to provide training,internships, and equipment to five Afghan

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camerawomen to produce the filmAfghanistan Unveiled, which wasnominated for an Emmy Award in the“News & Documentary” category.

• Professional Exchanges are funded byAbbott and hosted by the USAWC for visiting delegations from Afghanistan and its neighbors, as part of the State Department’sInternational Visitors’ Leadership Program,often including leaders from localgovernment, NGOs, and media. Exchangesfeature discussions and sharing of expertise on key political, economic, and social issues.

• The US Institute of Peace, throughAmbassador Steven Steiner, leads a workinggroup of Council members, NGOs, andgovernment representatives to compile bestpractices in empowering Afghan and Iraqiwomen. In 2012, USIP will conduct asymposium of Afghan and Iraqi women leaders to share their experiences and expertise on empowering women in conflict situationsand to establish an informal dialogue.

• U.S. Leadership Management and Computer Education. In 2002 the Council organized the travel of women from various Afghan government ministries to the United States for an educational exchange programthat included computer training, proposalwriting, and leadership management.

• Women’s Resource Centers. SeventeenWomen’s Resource Centers were establishedbetween 2003 and 2005 with funding fromUSAID, TIME Warner, the HasbroFoundation, Rotary International Clubs,and Afghan Women Leaders CONNECT.The centers foster literacy, computer skills,constitutional/human rights awareness, and entrepreneurship.

RELIEF AND SUPPORT• Afghans and Americans United, by

Council member Caroline Firestone, is thelatest of three books revealing the beauty ofa country left in ruins after decades of warand the stories of those determined torebuild it. Proceeds from this and Mrs.Firestone’s two earlier books, AfghanistanEvolving and Afghanistan in Transition,support programs in Afghanistan. Nowavailable also in Dari.

• Creating New Communities forInternally Displaced. In 2007, Councilmembers Caroline Firestone and DorisBuffett established homes, schools, andcommunity centers for 60,000 internallydisplaced persons in Kabul, including manyfamilies headed by women widowed fromyears of conflict. The facilities provideshelter, health care, and education.

• Freddie Mac, through Council memberTim McBride, provided $40,000 to FutureGenerations in Bamiyan Province to provideaccelerated literacy and health skills tovillage women, enabling them to gainemployment as community health workersand midwives.

• The Lamia Afghan Foundation hascollected, airlifted, and distributed morethan 900,000 pounds of humanitarian aidfor refugees and needy Afghan communitiesincluding winter clothing, blankets,nutrition, classroom equipment andmedical and teaching supplies. Inpartnership with Feeding the Nations, it hasprovided more than one million meals toneedy families in various provinces.

SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES 2002 TO 2012

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• New Beginnings. The NooristanFoundation, under Council memberMariam Atash Nawabi, supports refugees;provides emergency winter aid (blankets,food, etc.); conducts literacy classes; helpschildren go to school; distributes bicycles;and offers job training to help women startbusinesses in poultry raising, sewing, andvegetable gardening.

• The Nooristan Foundation has supported 81 families in the Baghe Daoud refugeecamp since 2008, providing emergencywinter aid (blankets, food, etc.), arrangingfor children to attend school, and offeringliteracy classes and a job training program at the camp. It has distributed 286 bicyclesto families in the camp to provide mobility.

• Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Inc.,led by Council member Diana RowanRockefeller, has invested over $1 million in nearly 40 programs in Afghanistanincluding small business training, fast track classes to mainstream older girls intoschool; efforts to increase female voterparticipation; legal training for womenjudges and lawyers; and combatingdomestic violence and child marriage, name a few.

• Student Fellows of the U.S.-AfghanWomen’s Council at Georgetown collectedmore than 3500 pounds of warm clothingduring a campus drive in winter 2010.Clothing was airlifted and distributed bythe Lamia Afghan Foundation.

U.S. CHAIRSJohn J. DeGioiaPresident, Georgetown University

Ambassador Melanne VerveerAmbassador-at-Large for GlobalWomen’s Issues

AFGHAN CHAIRSThe Honorable Husn Banu GhanzanfarMinister of Women’s Affairs (Acting)

The Honorable Zalmay RasoulMinister of Foreign Affairs

VICE CHAIRPhyllis R. MagrabDirector, Georgetown University Centerfor Child and Human Development

HONORARY ADVISORLaura W. BushFormer First Lady

HONORARY MEMBERThe Honorable Kathleen SebeliusSecretary of Health and Human Services

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORElaine Jones

Eva Weigold SchultzFormer Executive Director

MEMBERSAmbassador Barbara BarrettChief Executive Officer, Triple CreekRanch; Former U.S. Ambassador to Finland; Member of Board of Trustees forThunderbird University’s Project Artemis

H. Melvin MingPresident and Chief Executive Officer ofSesame Workshop, Inc.

Lt. Gen. (ret.) John BradleyCo-Founder, The Lamia Afghan Foundation

Jan BradleyCo-Founder, The Lamia Afghan Foundation

Doris BuffettFounder, The Sunshine Lady Foundationand Women’s Independence Scholarship Program

Ambassador Paula DobrianskyDistinguished National Security Chair,U.S. Naval Academy Annapolis;Former Under Secretary of State forDemocracy and Global Affairs

Connie DuckworthPresident and Chief Executive Officer,ARZU Studio HOPE

Caroline FirestoneFounder, New Hudson Foundation

Kate FriedrichVice President for Global GovernmentAffairs, Thomson Reuters

Peter GrossmanDirector, Grossman Burn Center,Sherman Oaks Hospital

Rebecca Gray GrossmanFounder, Grossman Burn Foundation

Ambassador Eklil A. HakimiAfghan Ambassador to the United States

Sultana HakimiWife of Ambassador of Afghanistan

Ambassador Karen HughesGlobal Vice Chair, Burson-Marsteller

Jill IscolPresident, IF Hummingbird Foundation

Valerie JarrettSenior Advisor to the President; Chair of the White House Council onWomen and Girls

Ambassador Said JawadChief Executive Officer, Capitalize LLC;Founder of Foundation for Afghanistan;Former Afghan Ambassador to theUnited States

Shamim JawadCo-Founder and Co-Chair, Ayenda Foundation

U.S.-AFGHAN WOMEN’S COUNCIL MEMBERS

James KunderSenior Resident Fellow, GermanMarshall Fund

Anita McBrideChair, J. William Fulbright ForeignScholarship Board; Senior Advisor,George W. Bush Foundation; Executive inResidence, Center for Presidential andCongressional Studies, School of PublicAffairs, American University

Timothy McBrideCo-Founder and Co-Chair, AyendaFoundation; Vice President, GlobalGovernment Affairs, Covidien

Catherine McIntyrePhilanthropist

David J. McIntyrePresident and Chief Executive Officer,TriWest Healthcare Alliance

Pat MitchellPresident and Chief Executive Officer,Paley Center for Media

Mariam NawabiPresident and Chief Executive Officer,AMDi International; President, PlanetPix Media

Terry NeesePresident, Institute for the EconomicEmpowerment of Women

Katherine PickusDivisional Vice President, GlobalCitizenship and Policy, Abbott

Charlotte PonticelliConsultant, Grossman Burn Foundation

Dina PowellPresident, Goldman Sachs Foundation

Syndey PriceSenior Vice President for GlobalMerchandising, Kate Spade NY

Diana Rowan RockefellerFounder and Chair, Afghan WomenLeaders Connect

Peter Kaivon SalehFormer Senior Advisor to the SpecialInspector General for AfghanistanReconstruction (SIGAR)

Leslie SchweitzerChair and President, Friends of theAmerican University of Afghanistan

Mina SherzoyDirector of Capacity Building,Afghanistan Chemonics International

Ambassador Steven SteinerSenior Advisor, U.S. Institute of Peace

Tina TchenAssistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady; ExecutiveDirector, White House Council onWomen and Girls

Marna WhittingtonManaging Director and Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Nicholas Applegate CapitalManagement

Cynthia WilliamsFormer Director, U.S. ProgramCommunications, The Bill and MelindaGates Foundation

PREVIOUS AFGHAN CO-CHAIRSThe Honorable Abdullah AbdullahFormer Foreign Minister of Afghanistan

The Honorable Sima SamarChair, Afghan Independent HumanRights Commission;Former Minister of Women’s Affairs

The Honorable Habiba SarabiGovernor of Bamiyan Province;Former Minister of Women’s Affairs

The Honorable Rangin Dadfar SpantaFormer Foreign Minister of Afghanistan

PREVIOUS MEMBERSCheryl BenardAuthor and Researcher

Reverend Kathleen CardPastor, Trinity United Methodist Church

Constantine “Deno” W. CurrisPresident, American Association of StateColleges and Universities

Jeff FaheyActor and Philanthropist

The Honorable Patricia HarrisonPresident and Chief Executive Officer,Corporation for Public Broadcasting

Anne HeiligensteinDeputy Executive Commissioner, TexasHealth and Human Services Commission

Ambassador Zalmay KhalilzadFormer U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan

Ambassador Shirin Tahir KheliFormer Special Assistant to thePresident; Former Senior Director forDemocracy, Human Rights andInternational Operations, NationalSecurity Council

Ambassador Ronald NeumannFormer U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan

Meghan O’SullivanFormer Deputy National SecurityAdvisor for Iraq and Afghanistan,National Security Council

Marin StremeckiVice President, Smith-RichardsonFoundation

FORMER HONORARY COUNCIL MEMBERSThe Honorable Elaine ChaoFormer Secretary of Labor

Ambassador Jeane KirpatrickFormer U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

Justice Sandra Day O’ConnorFormer Supreme Court Justice

Alma PowellBoard Chair, America’s Promise Alliance

The Honorable Condoleeza RiceFormer Secretary of State

Joyce RumsfeldFounder, Chicago Foundation for Education

The Honorable Margaret SpellingsFormer Secretary of Education

The Honorable Tommy ThompsonFormer Secretary of Health and Human Services

The Honorable Anne VenemanFormer Executive Director of UNICEF;Former Secretary of Agriculture

PREVIOUS CHAIRS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, HONORARY MEMBERS, AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

This publication was made possiblethrough a grant from Abbott toGeorgetown University Center for Child Development

March 2012

U.S.-AFGHAN WOMEN’S COUNCILGeorgetown University Center for Child and Human Development3300 Whitehaven St., NW, Suite 3300Washington, DC 20057202-687-5095

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