A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

Carrie Hasselback and Afghan Women’s Network (AWN)

Carrie Hasselback is currently at New York University pursuing a Master’s degree focusing on International Development and Nonprofit Management. Before New York, Carrie was in the Peace Corps in Romania for two years teaching English to children. She received a BA from Michigan State University but also spent time studying in Argentina and Italy.

During her participation in the Advocacy Project’s 2005 Summer Internship Program, Carrie Hasselback was paired with the Afghan Women’s Network (AWN) in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Afghan Women’s Network was established in 1995. It is a non-partisan network of women and women’s NGOs committed to empowering Afghan women and ensuring their equal participation in Afghan society. AWN seeks to enhance the effectiveness of its members by fostering partnership and collaboration between members, undertaking advocacy and lobbying, and building their individual capacities.

Two of the issues addressed by Carrie while working for AWN were violence against Afghan women and obstacles facing independent female politicians running campaigns and serving in office.

As part of a campaign to end the abuse of women, Carrie was asked to write vital reports on the consequences of gender-based violence in Afghanistan and proposals for educational projects intended to secure basic rights and respect for Afghan women.

While working in conjunction with the International Republican Institute, Carrie suggested that AWN implement a program for aiding elected female officials. With the assistance of AP intern Shirin Sahani, also in Kabul, she conceived of and authored proposals leading to the creation of the Afghan Women’s Independent Advocacy Commission (AWIC), an organization founded to provide support for females currently holding elected office. Although women are constitutionally guaranteed a certain percentage of seats in the Afghan parliament, their actual influence in policy-making may be limited by pressure from a male-dominant society. 

Throughout the summer, Carrie wrote weekly reports in the form of blogs on her stay in Afghanistan and her work with AWN. Her reports include poignant reflections on the degradation of women in Afghan society, detailed accounts of her assignments for AWN, and insightful commentary on her experience living in Afghanistan.

• Carrie Hasselback's blog