Report of First-Year Female Students Orientation at Kabul University

Last day of Gender Training for University Gender Officers and University Leadership: Photo by Muzhgan Aslami

Sponsored by: World Bank

Training Held on October 29th – October 31st 2016

Reported by: Muzhgan Aslami/HEDP Reported on: November 26, 2016

Contents

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 3

Target group........................................................................................................................................... 3

Modality of Orientation ......................................................................................................................... 4

Challenges & Recommendations………………………………………………………………………………………………………7

Concluding Note ..................................................................................................................................... 7

ANNEX 1: Agenda of Training ................................................................................................................. 8

ANNEX 2: Pictures of Training ................................................................................................................ 9

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Introduction

The Ministry of Higher Education has assigned either a Gender Manager or a Gender Focal Point in most

of the public universities to promote and maintain gender mainstreaming at the university level in

Afghanistan.

The Gender Unit of the MoHE has always been in contact with the managers and focal points. This unit

through their contact and monitoring realized that gender focal points have a limited understanding of

their terms of reference, which suggests that they require a

comprehensive training to get familiarized with their terms and

references and core responsibilities. Moreover, Gender Officers are

not aware of most of the activities and decisions that are taken in the

university. Thus, Gender Unit of MoHE planned for a training to

further enhance the capacity of the gender representatives of the

universities in terms of their terms of reference and introduce their

role to university leadership.

Objective

The objective of this three days training was to aware Gender Officers of their TORs, roles and main

responsibilities; furthermore, let university leadership to understand the role of Gender Officers and

involve them in making any plan (annual, budget, ask for their contribution with them while implanting

their tasks).

Target Universities

As it was a pilot program, the participants were from 6 universities. Four Kabul based universities (Kabul

University, Shahid Rabani Kabul Education University, Kabul Poly Technic University, and Kabul Medical

University), Al-beroni University and Parwan University.

From each university three participants (Gender Officers, HR Directors, and Vice Chancellors for

Administrative affairs) participated in the training.

THE FIRST DAY OF TRAINING, INTRODUCTION OF GENDER STRATEGY OF MOHE. PHOTO BY. MUZHGAN ASLAMI

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Modality of Orientation

The training was held in three days as per agenda and

schedule that Gender unite has suggested. The program on

the first day 29th of October started at 9:30 am by a

welcome speech and introduction of the program’s agenda

by Arefa Paikar MoHE’s Gender Head and continued till

3:00 pm with the rest of agenda by the trainer and

participants.

First Day:

On the first day, the program has started with a brainstorming/

question and answer, to brain storm and open the floor and break

the Ice for further presentation as well to know participants’ idea about gender and gender

mainstreaming.

• The purpose of this activity was to build the participant understanding about the gender and sex.

• In this activity life cycle of human being was sketched in a chart and asked question from participant

about their sex. Where most of the participant could not identified the exact sex as the pictures

were demonstrating gender dimensions not sex.

• The session followed up with a discussion with participants on differences between sex and gender.

At the end differences between sex and gender was presented.

The next session mainly focused on gender Strategy in order to make the participants understand and

get familiar with the MOHE gender strategy and methods of concerning on gender in any activity.

The main topics were covered are:

• In a Power point assentation the participant were briefed about the gender strategy of the MOHE

• Over review of gender strategy • Goal of the gender strategy

• Vision of the gender strategy

• Limitation on Number of Female Faculty Members

• MOHE Strategically Plan

PHOTO BY: MUZHGAN ASLAMI

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• The MOHE Support for implementation of the strategy

The last session of first day was focusing on Gender mainstreaming. The purpose of this session was to

build participants’ understanding about gender mainstreaming and importance of gender

mainstreaming into their planning.

Besides, the MOHE approach and the importance of women involvement in the Program were discussed

and through a power point presentation, the questions such as what is Gender Mainstreaming? Why

do we need Gender Mainstreaming? Objectives of Gender Mainstreaming? And How to do Gender

Mainstreaming? Were answered and relevant information were presented.

Second Day:

The first session of second day of training, based on the agenda, after a quick review of last day Anti-

Harassment and Non-discrimination Policy and best methods of implementation of the policy was

discussed. The followings are the main topics of that were explained

• Introduction

• MOHE Harassment Document

• Goals

• Definitions

• Responsibilities:

• False Accusation

• Necessary measures during different Stages of

Discrimination and Sexual Harassment

• Capacity Building

• Review, Monitoring and Evaluation

Continously, gender and workplace was the next topic of the day as it is very important to understand

the gender discrimination at workplace and its negative effect on employee and their performance. The

information which was provided top the participant were divided in to 4 deferent slides which is

mentioned bellow:

• What is sex or gender discrimination?

• Hiring/Firing/Promotions

• Pay

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• Job Classification

• Benefits

And, the last session of the second day was all about gender planning and the importance of Gender

Planning in an organization. The main subjects are the followings:

• What is Gender planning?

• What is important of gender planning?

• Gender Diagnosis?

• Gender Planning Process?

• Allocation of budget?

• Gender-focused participatory planning

• Elements of participatory perspective

• Action Plan

Third Day

The third day of the training was started by a recap of all two days, and continued with explanation of

Gender Officers’ TOR by MoHE Gender Head Ms. Arefa Paikar. She mainly focused on:

• Analyse need

• Development of Plan

• Coordination with relevant units

• Conducting trainings(communication, Banking, saving, conflict resolutions, economy, business

development and women economic participation according to Islam)

• Conducting Gender related trainings

• Manage and organize specific skill training

• Control and organize exhibitions,

• Supersession and monitoring of trainings

• Planning ,Organization and monitoring of trainings needs and training implementation

The next session of the day was sharing of the draft of the action plans with team and receiving feedback

from trainer. The training was ended with a small speech of MoHE HR director that he promised for

allocating budget if a feasible plan is presented. And with an hour open discussion and sharing feedbacks

of all participants.

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Challenges and Recommendations

However the three days training was successfully ended, there were some challenges during the program.

1. Most of Kabul universities’ leadership didn’t participate during this training. MoHE/ Gender

Unit can ask them and explain them clearly the importance of such programs.

2. Weakness in time management, the team can concern more on timing and should have a

good management of time as such programs could be covered in 2 days instead of 3 days.

3. Weak contribution of MoHE Gender unit to the program, all team of Gender Unit should take

a responsibility and each individual of should be assigned a task from the team Leader.

4. The leadership of such programs should be taken fully by Gender Unit of MoHE.

Concluding Note

The training was satisfactory for all the participants, and well-managed by the MoHE Gender Unit with

contribution of HEDP. Most of the attendees were expecting for continuation of such programs, as they

mentioned it was really helpful for them to be familiarized with Gender Officers’ main responsibilities.

Moreover, the leadership team promised for involving gender officers in most of the decision making

programs and will suggest a specific amount of annual budget to this department based on their plans.

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ANNEX 2: Gender Training Agenda

Agenda for the First day of Gender Seminar Ministry of Higher Education

29th October, 2016

Agenda for the Second day of Gender Seminar Ministry of Higher Education

30th October, 2016

Agenda for the Third day of Gender Seminar Ministry of Higher Education

31th October, 2016

Time Description Presenter Remarks

8:00- 9:30 Registration

9:30- 9:40 Welcome and Recitation of Holy Quran

9:40- 10:00 Opening Remarks and welcome and Introduction of the 3 days agenda plus the goal of the program

Arefa Paikar

10:00- 10:40 Brain storming Frozan Mashal

10:40-11:00 Tea Break

11:00- 12:00 MOHE gender strategy Frozan Mashal

12:00- 1:30 Lunch & prayer

1:30- 3:00 Gender mainstreaming to the program Frozan Mashal

3:00-3:30 Overview of the day Frozan Mashal

Time Description Presenter Remarks

8:00- 9:00 Registration Participant

9:00- 9:20 Over review of previous day Frozan Mashal

9:20- 10:10 Anti-harassment policy Frozan Mashal

10:10- 11:00 Gender and workplace Frozan Mashal

11:00-11:20 Tea break

11:20-1:00 Gender planning Frozan Mashal

1:00- 2:00 Launch break

Time Description Presenter Remarks

8:00- 9:00 Registration

9:00- 9:30 Recap

9:30- 10:00 Introduction to TOR Arefa Paikar

10:00- 10:45 Sharing of their action plans Participants & Trainer

10:45- 11:00 Tea break

11:00- 12:30

Open discussion & feed back All

12:30- 2:00 Lunch and Pray

2:00- 3:00 Payments Finance

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ANNEX 2: Gender Training Pictures

FIRST DAY OF TRAINING

. PHOTO BY: MUZHGAN ASLAMI

PHOTO BY: M. YASIN NOORI

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GENDER OFFICERS ON 2ND DAY OF THE TRAINING PHOTO BY: MUZHGAN ASLAMI

LAST DAY OF TRAINING PHOTO BY: MUZHGAN ASLAMI

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