The Roqia Center for Women’s Rights, Studies, and Education in Afghanistan is an officially registered Afghan civil society organization. The Center aims to assist the cause of women as an integral part of the country’s democratization and reconstruction. The Roqia Center is Kabultec’s sole beneficiary and primary mode of implementing projects in Afghanistan.
Areas of Work
The Roqia Center areas of work are separated into three divisions.
1) The Rights Division of the Roqia Center pursues women’s rights issues in Afghanistan. In 2002-3 Nasrine and her colleagues held numerous conferences throughout the country in preparation for the Constitutional Loya Jirga, which Nasrine attended as a guest. In 2004 the Roqia Center participated in several conferences explaining the articles of the Constitution that pertained to women. In 2005 the Roqia Center conducted seminars for the female candidates to the Parliament and Provincial Councils of 14 provinces.
2) The Studies Division publishes and distributes books and articles. In 2003, the Center published “Women in the Koran,” a compilation of verses of the Koran that mention the word woman, in translation of Dari, and distributed it to participants of the Women’s Conference, delegates of the Loya Jirga and other civil society organizations. The Roqia Center has also researched and published several articles pertaining to women and Afghan society. As well, with funding from SUNY/USAID Nasrine wrote “Women’s Guide to Winning in the 2005 Afghan Elections”.
3) The Education Division houses an innovative literacy program. It began as a course on reading, writing and arithmetic for a group of 13 to 21 year-old boys and girls who work as apprentices in various trades. The couples-only classes were soon added. Here, students are ages 15 to 75 and each course lasts one year, covering the equivalent of three years of literacy curriculum. In 2005, the Roqia Center conducted one apprentices and five couples-only courses.
Projects
Here are a few current and past projects of the Roqia Center: