Musharikat Monthly Report February 2016

The project was launched in 2015 with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The project's primary objective is to empower women and promote their participation in Afghan society. In February 2016, the project achieved several milestones. A call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) was launched to invite partner civil society organizations and individual activists to work with the project to plan, publicize, organize, and deliver the Musharikat National Summit in May 2016. The call was disseminated widely through various channels, including the Promote website, social media, and local networks. A total of 2873 CSOs and activists across the country received the EOI, and 117 activists and 243 CSOs were long-listed for further consideration. The project also conducted three regional consultation forums in Northern, Eastern, and North-West regions of the country. The forums brought together civil society organizations and individual activists to introduce Promote Musharikat and explore and prioritize women's issues at the provincial and regional levels. Ninety-eight men and women, including young leaders from eighteen provinces, attended the forums, with 90% of participants being women. The project will conduct a last regional consultation forum in Kandahar on March 16th. The project team continued to engage with key stakeholders in February to introduce Musharikat and build relationships with government counterparts and other potential partners. On February 7th, the project delivered a well-received update to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah of the National Unity Government and Promote Advisory Committee on Musharikat's achievements. Mr. Abdullah recommended holding a high-level public Promote event to generate greater awareness and support for the project. Christine Wilkins, Acting Chief of Party, has been assigned as Chief of Party for the project. The project's technical team performed initial screening of the solicitations and long-listed 117 activists and 243 CSOs for further consideration. The project's M&E and grants units will continue to work on the selection process and ensure that the project's objectives are met. The project's regional implementation plan is underway, with activities focused on the North, East, West, and South regions of the country. The project team is working closely with regional directors to disseminate information and build relationships with local stakeholders. The project's operations, including recruitment, STTAs, grants, and subcontracts, are also ongoing. The project's monitoring and evaluation team is working to track progress and identify challenges. One of the key challenges faced by the project is the need to strengthen relationships with government counterparts and other potential partners. The project team is working to address this challenge by engaging with key stakeholders and building trust. The project's advocacy and outreach efforts are also ongoing, with a focus on promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in Afghan society. The project's geographic focus is on the North, East, West, and South regions of Afghanistan, with a particular emphasis on promoting women's participation and empowerment in these regions. The project's timeframes are focused on the period from 2015 to 2018, with a mid-term evaluation planned for 2017. The project's recommendations will be based on the findings of the evaluation and will aim to strengthen the project's impact and effectiveness.