Think Creative - Issue 7

Afghan women: A dynamic economic force

stressed that the future of Afghan- istan’s women will determine the future of the country. “We know that women are essen- tial to Afghanistan’s future,” said ErinMone-Marquez, Acting Di- rector of the USAID/Afghanistan ProgramOffice. “We know that one of the most effective invest- ments for accelerating economic growth and achieving sustainable peace in Afghanistan is supporting women’s robust participation in the economy.” And with the possibility of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban on the horizon, freedoms and opportunity for women hang in the balance. The Afghan women on the panel had a clear message: They’re not losing the ground they’ve gained. “Afghan women are not going back. We are going to go forward,” Nehan said. n half the cost of tuition for an online master’s program in Electoral Policy and Administration through the Scu- ola Superiore Sant’Anna (School of Advanced Studies) in Pisa, Italy. Scheduled to graduate in April 2020, Willie-Pepple has wanted to work in elections and politics since she was a child growing up in Nigeria. “Professions like this are supposed to be for the men because the men are seen as strong. The men are seen as able to withstand the pressures, especially in Africa. So I want to challenge myself and then challenge other women to show that we can do it,” she says. “We can also change the process to make it better, to make the electoral process better. But those tasks are never easy.” n

dor H.E. Roya Rahmani, Afghan- istan’s first female ambassador to the United States, said in her opening address. Participants celebrated the remarkable advancements that Afghan women have made in the government and private sector ahead of International Women’s Day onMarch 8. Proof of this progress was on stage. Joining the discussion were: Nargis Nehan, Afghanistan’s first female Minister of Mines and Petroleum; businesswoman Tania Arya, who founded Afghan jewelry brand Veezha; and Zarifa Ghafari, mayor of the conservative town of Maidan Shar and recipient of a 2020 International Women of Courage Award. Despite the advances of Afghan women, there is still a long way to go before they achieve equal opportunity. And the participants

Afghanistan’s future hinges on protecting and expanding upon the hard-won gains that women have secured during the past 18 years, said a panel of barri- er-breaking Afghan women and representatives from the U.S. State Department and USAID. An event titled “Afghan Women: A Dynamic Economic Force” on March 5 at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C., examined the crucial role of women in transforming the country’s economy, particularly considering the planned peace talks between the government and the Taliban. The event was organized and sponsored by Cre- ative, the Embassy and the Asian Development Bank. “What we have seen time and again is that women must be part of the solutions we seek. There is no other way forward,” Ambassa-

Inset: Afghan Ambassador to the U.S., H.E. Roya Rahmani

Blessing Willie-Pepple is paving the way for other women who want to work for fairer elections in Africa.

Charito Kruvant Scholarship winner aims to tackle elections policy in Africa

Blessing Willie-Pepple is set to make her mark on electoral processes in Africa, with an eye toward one day working for the United Nations. Willie-Pepple is one of the first recipients of the Charito Kruvant Scholarship for Electoral Excellence. The scholarship, named for Creative co-founder and board chair, was established in 2018 to help women pursue careers in electoral admin- istration. The scholarship covers I might not become the next chairman one day, but I hope to influence electoral management bodies, influence elections generally in Africa.” “

Photo by Janey Fugate

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