A Review of Objectives, Activities, and Future Plans AWCCI, Organizational Document (V6) | Page 10
Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) United Nations Women (UN Women)
Considering the overlapping mandates of the
AWCCI and MoWA, the AWCCI has kept in close
communication with the ministry in order to find
ways to work together constructively. The AWCCI
and MoWA currently maintain a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) that outlines areas where
productive collaboration is possible. The UN Women office in Afghanistan has been a strong
supporter of AWCCI’s initiatives, most tangibly so in the
area of women’s industrial parks. UN Women funded the
concept development for a network of women’s industrial
parks in Afghanistan, with a grant covering the costs for a
research trip to Hyderabad, India. The purpose of the trip
was to gain an in-depth understanding of the structure
of the women’s industrial park network operated by the
Association of Lady Entrepreneurs of India. As a result
of the grant, the AWCCI was able to produce a Concept
Note for the industrial park scheme, which has served
as a valuable starting point in discussions with Afghan
Government agencies and donor organizations.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA)
Through its Department of Economic Cooperation,
MoFA provided valuable support to the AWCCI
to ensure that the Women’s Chamber was able
to participate in the 7th iteration of the Regional
Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA).
AWCCI and MoFA collaborated in developing
and publishing a policy paper after the RECCA
VII meeting in Turkmenistan. MoFA established
RECCA’s Chamber of Commerce in which AWCCI is
expected to play a major role as the voice of Afghan
businesswomen.
Ministry of Finance (MoF)
The MoF has supported the AWCCI in several
ways. The MoF’s personnel who fulfill the duties of
the Secretariat of the High Economic Council have
always been very responsive to the AWCCI’s requests,
and additionally the ministry has delegated staff for
AWCCI-led tax compliancy training for Afghan
women business owners.
International Trade Centre (ITC)
From the start of its work in Afghanistan, the ITC
has made a point to solicit the views of Afghan
businesswomen in general, and the AWCCI in
particular. In 2017, the ITC reached out to the
AWCCI for support developing the export strategy
document for the women-centric Precious Stones &
Jewelry sector, a component of the larger National
Export Strategy. The ITC has also been tremendously
supportive in working to integrate AWCCI’s
members into its SheTrades initiative, an effort to
integrate women around the world into the global
trading system. Most recently, the ITC funded the
development of this organizational document as part
of its commitment to strengthening the AWCCI’s
capacity.
International Labour Organization
(ILO)
The ILO has been a steadfast partner for the AWCCI,
providing support in a number of different areas. First
and foremost, the ILO contributed funding to renovate
the first women’s industrial park in Kabul. The AWCCI
expects that this park will serve as a critical test case
for the larger industrial park concept. The ILO has also
supported the capacity building mission of the AWCCI,
through a collaboration operating the Start and Improve
Your Business (SIYB) training program.
United Nations Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC)
The AWCCI is very appreciative of the UNODC for
its assistance in planning and implementing periodic
markets showcasing products produced by women-
owned businesses, at the United Nations compound in
Kabul.
United Nations Assistance Mission in
Afghanistan (UNAMA)
The AWCCI and UNAMA have collaborated to develop
a system whereby Afghan women-owned businesses will
receive a scoring allowance in the bidding process for
UN contracts.
The AWCCI’s contribution to the economic development of our
dear Afghanistan is increasing by the day. Internationally, they
also are valuable ambassadors for Afghanistan, spreading abroad
the trademark Made By Afghan Women. May God bless their
efforts and bring them all the success they deserve!
- Her Excellency Rula Ghani, First Lady of Afghanistan
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Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation,
& Livestock (MAIL) have had a tremendous impact on the AWCCI’s work,
particularly in the area of policy advocacy.
In areas related to agricultural production, MAIL has
been a consistent supporter of AWCCI’s members. At
the annual Agricultural Fair at MAIL’s Badam Bagh
facility, AWCCI members involved in the sector
have been invited to participate and showcase their
products. South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation Chamber of Commerce,
Women’s Entrepreneurs Council
(SCWEC)
Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation &
Development (MRRD)
The MRRD has worked with the AWCCI on rural
women enterprise development, to include sessions
organized jointly to assist rural women in licensing
their businesses and entering the formal economy.
MRRD and the AWCCI have also collaborated to assist
rural women in developing their supply chains and
sales networks, through the organization of business-
to-business (B2B) events for Afghan businesswomen
from both rural and urban markets.
Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD)
The OECD has invited AWCCI to participate in a series
of Public-Private Working Group events focused on
Afghanistan’s economic development. In their reports
on economic development in Afghanistan, the OECD
has acknowledged the important role that the AWCCI
must play in order to achieve success.
Center for International Private
Enterprise (CIPE)
When the AWCCI began setting up its zonal offices,
CIPE provided training to newly hired staff on the
fundamentals of chambers of commerce and their
functions. CIPE also provided funding for a study trip
to learn from the Bangladesh Women’s Chamber of
Commerce.
German Society for International
Cooperation (GIZ)
We strongly believe in the inclusion of local female
voices in the development initiates being implemented
in Afghanistan. As such, we applaud GIZ for
designating a seat for the AWCCI on the Steering
Committee for its 6-year Sustainable Economic
Development and Employment Promotion (SEDEP)
project. We hope more development organizations
will follow GIZ’s example in this area.
Institute for Economic
Empowerment of Women (IEEW)
The IEEW, through its PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS
program, is a great partner of the AWCCI. Notably, a
majority of the AWCCI leadership has been trained by
the IEEW and are graduates of their programs. They
The SAARC Chamber of Commerce has been a valued
partner for the AWCCI by supporting its inclusion
in the regional economy. The SAARC Chamber has
granted the AWCCI a seat on the Women Entrepreneurs
Council, thereby allowing the AWCCI to learn from
the experience of women entrepreneurs in neighboring
countries and benefit from their insights.
South Asian Women Development
Forum (SAWDF)
Over the last several years, SAWDF has organized a
number of regional events related to women in business.
The Forum has always made the point to invite the
AWCCI to participate, and it has been a valuable
experience for the AWCCI’s leadership to learn from the
experiences of fellow businesswomen in neighboring
countries.
Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce &
Investment (ACCI), the International
Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and the
Afghanistan Chamber of Industries
and Mines (ACIM)
It is important for Afghanistan’s various chambers of
commerce to work together constructively towards
our shared mission of growing the Afghan economy.
The ACCI, ICC, and ACIM have provided support
to the women’s chamber in different ways, and we are
thankful for their collaborative spirt. The ACCI office in
Jalalabad has generously allocated space at their facilities
free of cost, while the ICC’s chapter in Afghanistan has
waived membership fees for the AWCCI in its esteemed
organizations. The ICC has also designated a seat for
the AWCCI among its Board of Directors. The ACIM
has been a staunch ally of the AWCCI, by lobbying for
its inclusion in various Government bodies, as well as
collaborating with the AWCCI during the drafting
process for the most recent Chambers Regulating Law.
The European Union (EU)
The concerted support of the EU for Afghanistan’s
economic development has been felt in numerous areas,
including at the AWCCI offices. This overview of the
AWCCI’s activities and future ambitions has been in
need for some time, and it was finally brought to life with
the help of EU funding and technical support from the
ITC.
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