EU launches triangular project with Central Asia to support Afghan women's economic empowerment
Between nowand 2025, 50 students will attend bachelor’s, master’s and technical degrees inagriculture, applied statistics and mining at academic establishments acrossKazakhstan and Uzbekistan. In addition, UN Women will organize summer schoolsthat will train the women in entrepreneurship and networking to contribute totheir post-study employment and thus economic empowerment, the official websiteof the Delegation of the European Union to Kazakhstan reads.
«I believethe Afghan people need to feel and see that the international community unitesand supports the reconciliation process in the country. That's why the EU hasdecided to work very closely with the Central Asian countries to supportprojects that can help connecting the neighbouring countries and countries ofthe region, in particular the connectivity projects, and projects aimed ateducation and employment, in particular Afghan women», said EU HighRepresentative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini.
«Technicalcooperation and the exchange of knowledge among countries can play a huge rolein boosting development. This collaboration will create new opportunities forcross-regional collaboration and growth,» said Mirjana Spoljaric Egger,Regional Director of UNDP in Europe and Central Asia.
Theinitiative is expected to help create new business and employment opportunitiesfor the women and their communities back in Afghanistan. According to the 2018UNDP Human Development Report, 11 percent of all adult Afghan women havereached at least a secondary level of education and only 19.5 percent areemployed, while these numbers are 37 percent and 87 percent for men,respectively. In 2016-2017, more than half of the Afghan population was livingbelow the poverty line.
«We cannotbuild the future we want and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)without the full participation of women,» said Yakup Beris, UNDP ResidentRepresentative in Kazakhstan. «Investing in women and girls is one of the bestinvestments a country can make in its future,» he added.