Does Women’s Participation in the NSP and MFIs Make a Difference in their Lives? Evidence from Balkh, Kabul and Parwan

This was the final event of AREU’s IDRC-funded Women’s Participation in Development research project. The half-day workshop brought together a variety of stakeholders, including representatives from National Solidarity Programme (NSP) facilitating partners, microfinance institutions, and officials from the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) and the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan (MISFA). AREU’s research team of Dr. Chona E. Echavez, Zia Hussain, Dr. Abdul Mateen Imran, Massouda Kohistani, and Nasreen Quarishi presented the study’s findings, which were then the subject of group discussions, feedback and reflection. A closing speech was given by Wais Ahmad Barmak, the deputy minister of programmes at MRRD. Simultaneous translation was provided between Dari and English throughout.