Gender and ICT Projects Database

In recognition of the Gender and ICT initiatives all over the globe, we have created this projects database and made it available online. The database is a repository of Gender and ICT projects which were nominated and had qualified for the GICT Awards 2003 screening. This will be enriched by each award year. We are hoping that these efforts will inspire others to network, advocate and mobilize ICTs for women's empowerment and gender equality.

A. PROJECT INFORMATION
1. a. Project Name or Title:	Afghan Women Business Council
b. Project URL, if any:	No specific Project URL available
a. Utilizes ICTs to promote women's economic empowerment
a.1 What types of ICT tools do you use?	We will use the Unite Nations, and exchange information, promote knowledge sharing, enhance organization learning.
a.2 How does the application of these contribute to the promotion of women's economic empowerment and gender equality?	I established the first Time in Afghanistan Sewing Weaving Cooperative. Create gob for men and Women. The Tailor, Guard and suppler was men. In the project benefited around 1000 women directly. An indirect beneficiary was men and children. Established AWBC (Afghan Women Business Women) encourage entrepreneurship among Afghan women. Opened a permanent centre that is able to offer training and capacity building in business skills. AWBC is a network for marketing and trading, reaching out to women?s centers in the provinces where income generation activities are beginning amongst local women. An important role of this council is to advocate for the rights of women to conduct more professionalized economic activities. Providing both short and long-term educational opportunities for 1500 women both in basic business skills as well as formal education Creating a network of women?s business associations and collaboration with international association s that can provide expertise to Afghan women. Building the capacity of Afghan businesswomen to have access to international markets through exhibition ( Artezan ) Working in collaboration with government to address issues of concern to Afghan women. Building the technical capacity of Afghan women to start, manage and sustain business enterprises. Now 200 business women members of AWBC. The members are able to open their won Companies. Most of the deputies of the companies are men. And also 50 %other employees are men.
a.3 How was the achievement of women's economic empowerment and gender equality assessed/determined?	The achievement of women?s economic empowerment and gender equality as follows: -The able to design their won projects. -writing business plan. -establishing their won Company. - 4 our members are able to become the members of AICC( Afghanistan International Cumbers of Comers) to present their own business Beside the men activities. - The women are employed men in their project. - The women have join project with men. The women have reconstructions Company and, International trade forwarder Transportation and Transition Company.
a.4 Which cultural, traditional and religious gender-biased notions and beliefs were challenged, if any?	The organization was formed to provide economic, educational and social opportunities for women in constitution of Islam valued, constitution and other accepted laws. As well provide assistance to afghan businesswomen and assist them in creating sustainable business. The beneficiaries of the projects were for men and women different nations, cultural. Traditional religious men and women. Azara, Pashtoon , Tajec, uzbic.
a.5 In what ways is your project different from others in enabling women's economic empowerment and gender equality?	For identification of the project participated men and women. Join consultation meeting. Employee men and women. Salary payment for men and women. Work time.
a.6 What added value does your project bring to the ICT for development fora?	These stories on youth , women and economic empowerment , poverty and Gender are snapshots of the learning process that accompanies the introduction and implementation of ICTs in a community development projects added value to ICT.
b. Upscales initiatives and community-centred technologies
b.1 Please narrate specific innovative or new approaches employed by the project, if any, that contribute to its development and its relevance to the community it is serving.	1. Latifa Abasy, First time when she become the member of AWBC. She learn. It was good opportunity for her to participate in meeting, business training, consultations meeting, She introduce through AWBC for a TOT Workshop at Italy (Turin). After that she participated in other several training for capacity building. She become a great Business trainer. She trained many other skill women In Kabul, Hearat and Mazar-i- Sharif provinces. Than the ITC ILO Turin had their follow up in Kabul. After that they selected the participant for Upgrading TOT workshop. Now she is a professional Trainer especially in Business fields. She have good income from business teaching.
b.2 Describe the processes or mechanisms that are in place to ensure the project's sustainability.	Sustainability: AWBC will primarily finance itself through income from the lease of registration and membership fees, store fees, and tickets for seminars and conferences, advertisement fee, and discount card, export and import document fee which will help AWBC to sustain programs.
b.3 How can your project be replicated elsewhere?	AWBC would like to build a strong network among Afghan Business The AWBC launched the BDS (Business Development Services) department to promote and strengthen women?s access to and position in the market, including self employment opportunities at national and community levels & create their awareness on the best ways of doing businesses legally. AWBC is an on going growing center for women entrepreneurs. The Business trainings will help women to be self-dependent and expand business skills within the local community. Women of Kabul city and other provinces. We will develop systematically a network among women entrepreneurs, buyers, sellers, producers, and technologists, designers at regional and international levels. Such forums will provide more interaction to the members for exchanging ideas, products, exploring new markets and facilitate availability of information. In order to facilitate women?s entry in to the private sector through strengthening the capacity of women?s enterprises and engage with economic makers on effective integration of women in to the national economy.
c. Promotes cooperation and social networking
c.1 Who participates in the initiative? (Please identify participants, beneficiaries, and implementation partners. Provide specific demographic (age, income, rural/urban) information about your beneficiaries.)	Community( women, men, Youth, Children, different eges. Women entrepreneurs From rural and urbun. ( Hearat , Mazar, Kapisa, Logar, Qandahar, Kabul, Parwan Kabul urban and rural district Ganzni.
c.2 Please identify the project's most important partners and explain their role in the project and in helping to mainstream gender.	UNIFEM, CIPE, AICC
c.3 How does the project foster cooperation and active participation among the different sectors (government, private sector, civil society) in the community?	Officially started its work in square of transparency, Equality, Unity, national property in independence. And also the project design according the need of the community.
c.4 How does the project strengthen the capacity of those who are involved in its implementation?	Providing technical and support services to Afghan businesswomen in the form of advice, training, and practical application. Assistance in evaluating projects and proposals initiated by Afghan businesswomen. Conducting technical assistance workshops in collaboration with international organization. Publishing a magazine, quarterly newsletter, and merchandise catalogue that provides information to Afghan women business owners, as well as highlights products made by their companies. Training of Afghan trainers to sustain programs after international assistance has ended.
3. Learning Lessons and Sharing Strategies
a. Why, when, and how did the project begin?	We sheared our strategies for better services, facilitation and economic empowerment with AICC, Afghanistan International Combers of Comers on 2004, And UNIFEM on 2003.
b. What are the goals of the initiative?	v Building the capacity of Afghan businesswomen to have access to international markets. v Providing both short and long-term educational opportunities for women both in basic business skills as well as formal education v Creating a network of women?s business associations and collaboration with international associations that can provide expertise to Afghan women v Working in collaboration with government to address issues of concern to Afghan women. v Building the technical capacity of Afghan women to start, manage and sustain business enterprises. v Assisting women in identifying new domestic and international markets. v Build the capacity of community, v Increase the community participation. v Community empowerment.
c. How are decisions being made in project implementation?	Decisions making by the community representative( Governor board, Consultative Board & General Assembly members)
d. What mechanisms are in place to ensure transparency and accountability in implementing the project?	The Management Team reported in the meeting for( Governor board, Consultative Board & General Assembly members) about the activities. Bookkeeping, accounting system.
e. What results and/or immediate outcomes has the initiative achieved, and what impact has it had on the beneficiaries, participants, and community?	The Community are able to facilitate community development programmer district level and neighborhood level. and develop projects include education, social service, income generation projects and governance. the community able to identify their problems. Priorities their problems. Facilitation meeting for selection of the Consultative Board members. Facilitate the selection of Consultative Board members. The community are able to seek local solution financial and social for their problem. Make selves' decision. Facilitate the process of the Community Forum establishment. Facilitate the opportunity for Management team and consultative set up the Aware community for its responsibility in their society.
f. What tools and processes did you use to monitor and evaluate the results of the initiative?	(No answer)
B. GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Name of individual or organization	Afghan Women Business Council
2. Address	Kabul Afghanistan ( Shash Darak , Afghanistan International Chamber of Commers) building Street # 2 House No 91 AWBC
3. Region/Country	Asia, Afghanistan
4. Telephone number	0093- 079334135
5. Fax number
6. E-mail address	waizi_56@hotmail.com
7. Organisation's URL (if applicable):
8. Name and designation of person submitting this application form	Mahbooba Waizi Afghan Women Business Council
9. Organization's Vision/Mission	The strategic goal of the project is as follows: v Build capacity of women economic society to lead to development of a strong constituency of women entrepreneurs at grass-roots level and establishment of effective long term programs on women?s economic security at macro and micro levels? v Providing both short and long-term educational opportunities for women both in basic business skills as well as formal education v Creating a network of women?s business associations and collaboration with international associations that can provide expertise to Afghan women v Working in collaboration with government to address issues of concern to Afghan women. v Building the technical capacity of Afghan women to start, manage and sustain business enterprises. v Assisting women in identifying new domestic and international markets. AWBC?s objectives are as follows: v Building the capacity of Afghan businesswomen to have access to international markets. v Providing both short and long-term educational opportunities for women both in basic business skills as well as formal education v Creating a network of women?s business associations and collaboration with international associations that can provide expertise to Afghan women v Working in collaboration with government to address issues of concern to Afghan women. v Building the technical capacity of Afghan women to start, manage and sustain business enterprises. v Assisting women in identifying new domestic and international markets.
10. Where did you hear about the GICT Awards?	One of who knows me received a email about version of the Gender & ICT Awards 2005- Announcement. Her name is Linda Jones( ljones@meda.org)She forward Mylene Soto email to me. Then I received the additional information through website.