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The Gender and Justice programme works to ensure a gender perspective is integrated into all aspects of Afghanistan's legal and judicial reform.
To this end, the programme assists government institutions in meeting their international obligation to protect the human rights of men and women equally.
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The Gender and Justice programme consists of 4 units:
The Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW)
In support of the full elimination of violence against women in Afghanistan, UNIFEM...
- takes part in the EVAW Consultative Group;
- provides technical expertise to the EVAW Inter-ministerial Commission;
- conducts research for a primary and secondary database on violence against women cases;
- supports the integration of traditional dispute mechanisms into legal reform;
- supports the drafting of a domestic violence bill;
- manages the EVAW Special Fund, together with UNHCR and UNFPA, and;
- supports other activities including awareness raising, research, data collection and documentation, advocacy and the training of policy makers, religious leaders and community leaders.
Read more about the EVAW unit »
Gender Mainstreaming within Legal and Judicial Processes
In order to ensure that all legal and judicial reform is sensitive to gender development, UNIFEM...
- undertakes comparative analysis of Afghanistan's civil and criminal laws from a gender perspective, referred to as “Law mapping”;
- works with the Supreme Court and Attorney General’s office to create a protection system for women victims of violence and;
- works closely with civil society and policy makers to advocate for reform of current discriminatory laws.
Read more about the Gender Mainstreaming unit »
Increasing Women's Access to Justice
UNIFEM works to promote women's access to justice and legal aid, particularly in rural areas, by:
- making recommendations to government institutions on the need for women's access to legal aid;
- supporting gender training within the police force;
- coordinating the country's first national paralegal programme;
- establishing referral centers for women in need of legal advice and;
- creating transitional houses for women with no safe place to go.
Read more about the Access to Justice unit »
Women's Leadership in Politics
UNIFEM strives to engender governance and peace building through increasing women's leadership in politics. This is done by supporting women political leaders (such as parliamentarians, provincial council members, and members of women’s associations and civil society) in increasing women’s access, participation and influence in politics.
Activities include:
- the establishment of a Resource Centre for Women in Politics;
- the publication of toolkits for women political leaders;
- the support of women in peace building, and;
- the documentation of an oral history of Afghan women.
Toolkit 4: Gender Budgeting in Afghanistan
Toolkit 3: Legislative Process
Toolkit 2: Women Parliamentarians Making a Difference in Politics 
Toolkit 1: International Instruments for the Protection of Women's Human Rights 
UNIFEM