USAID Promote Musharikat Project Monthly Report May 2018

The project aims to build constituencies among national, provincial, and local activists and groups focused on promoting women's equality and empowerment. To achieve this objective, the project has formed eight issue-based coalitions with participation of at least 300 women's rights-focused civil society organizations (CSOs) and 5,000 activists from all 34 provinces. The project has made significant progress in selecting priority issues, with six issues identified: Access to Justice, Women's Political Participation, and Access to Healthcare, as well as Access to Education, Access to Economic Opportunities, and Violence Against Women. As of May 2018, the project has registered 204 CSOs and 1,642 activists as coalition members, with over 150 Women's Leadership Development (WLD) Jawana graduates enrolled in Musharikat coalitions. The project's Knowledge Management Portal (MKMP) communication platform was put into use in May, supporting the Women's Political Participation (WPP) Coalition's voter registration efforts. The platform was used to raise awareness, share information, and improve communication amongst coalition members. Specifically, the platform was used to announce radio roundtable events, post audio recordings, store radio spots, share voter registration articles and statistics, and create a specialized discussion forum. The project also prepared for the National Summit in May, with the procurement team ensuring contracts were in place for facilities, food, printing, video/photography services, translation firm, and travel. Brochures, booklets, Fact Sheets, banners, and roll-ups were finalized and printing plans were put into place. Initial agendas were developed and reviewed by USAID, and VIP guests were discussed and invited to the event. The WPP Coalition observed that the voter registration process in their districts was off to a slow start in April, with low registration rates, particularly among women. In response, the coalition developed a comprehensive campaign promoting voter registration, which will reach over 10 million Afghans through radio spots and in-depth roundtable discussions. The campaign has resulted in thousands of Afghans, especially women, being reminded and encouraged to register to vote. The project's efforts to empower women in Afghanistan are evident in the large number of WLD Jawana graduates who have joined Musharikat coalitions. The project's careful selection process ensures that qualified and enthusiastic members are selected, with complete information about the candidate collected and checked. The project's focus on providing tools of communication, such as cell phones and email addresses, is critical in enabling members to become effective women's rights activists and leaders. The project's progress in May 2018 demonstrates its commitment to promoting women's rights and empowerment in Afghanistan. The project's use of the MKMP communication platform and its efforts to promote voter registration highlight its ability to leverage technology and community engagement to achieve its objectives.