In a few days, I will be arriving in Kabul to begin work with the Afghan Women’s Network, a group I highly admire and hope to learn a great amount from and contribute whatever I can. I am hoping to gain a better understanding of what women in the general population and women activists in their work are facing in the current environment of insecurity and conflict.

I have been in touch with my main contact person from the Kabul office. We have figured out a preliminary work plan, and we will iron it all out once I’m in the country. In the meantime, I can tell you I will be assisting the advocacy department in identifying key issues that can be resolved or improved through various strategies. I will be working with AWN to organize awareness sessions on UN resolution 1325 related to women, peace, and security for AWN members; and drafting a report in Persian and English, among other responsibilities. The details of all of this will come to be much clearer in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I have been keeping up on news about Afghanistan and brushing up on Persian. The language component will no doubt come in handy as Persian is one of two official languages of Afghanistan!

I am eager to begin, after which I will have much more to tell you!