Jun
28
2009
An update from Hagar International:
Afghanistan is a country in crisis with more than half of its people living below the poverty line. It faces major shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, access to medical care and food. Rape (both within and outside of marriage), forced marriage, prostitution, gender – based violence, and bonded labor are all common. Denial of rights to disabled women and children is widespread. The combination of these conditions have created a situation for the exploitation and trafficking of women to flourish.
- Population: 32 million
- Age structure: It is one of the youngest populations in the world where 45% are younger than 14 years
- Life expectancy: 44.5 years: Afghanistan has one of the lowest life expectancies in the world
- Child mortality: 20% of children die before they reach the age of five, the fourth worst record in the world
- Unemployment: Afghanistan’s unemployment rate is 40%
In Kabul, Hagar is partnering with the International Organization for Migration to open a shelter for trafficked women. Hagar will do what it does best – provide quality, holistic care to women, restoring them to lives of wholeness through social rehabilitation and economic empowerment.
Longtime Hagar Cambodia staff member, Myriam Geach, will be joining Hagar Afghanistan and leading the team there. Myriam is from the UK and is one of Hagar’s longest serving expatriate staff. She has been working in Cambodia for the past six years in various capacities including communications and reintegration services and developing a training and employment program. Myriam currently manages Hagar’s Career Pathways Training Program. Myriam will bring solid management skills, effective donor relations and quality programming to our emerging work in Afghanistan.
Check out Hagar Afghanistan’s website: http://www.hagarafghanistan.org for more info on what Hagar is doing in this exciting and challenging environment!
Emily founded Stop Traffick Fashion in 2009. She’d been becoming more and more involved in the abolitionist movement, and she decided to start STF as an opportunity to bring together the best of all products made by survivors of trafficking. She hopes her response to trafficking will inspire others to take action, even in a small way. Emily lives in Cincinnati, enjoys traveling, and has visited Hagar International and StopStart in Cambodia.
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