PRT/PANSHJIR: WOMEN'S AGENDA ADVANCING, DESPITE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 005843

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SENSITIVE
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DEPT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, S/CR, S/CT, SCA/PAB, EUR/RPM
STATE PASS TO USAID FOR AID/ANE
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN
OSD FOR KIMMETT
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76, AND POLAD
RELEASABLE TO NATO/ISAF/AUS/NZ

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV AF
SUBJECT: PRT/PANSHJIR: WOMEN'S AGENDA ADVANCING, DESPITE
WEAK AIDE


Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY A/POL COUNSELOR MARTIN D. MURPHY FOR REASO
NS 1.4 (b) & (d)


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The PRT is working to create
opportunities for the women of Panjshir to improve their
levels of education, as well as their economic mobility and
access to health care. A weak Director of Women's Affairs,
however, represents a major stumbling block. The PRT
strategy has been to work around the incumbent, while not
undermining the office. The Governor has taken the same
tack. For the longer term, he seeks her replacement. END
SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) In A November 28 meeting at Bagram Airfield with
representatives of CJTF-76, USAID, UNAMA, PRT and other
members of his administration, the Governor of Panjshir
highlighted his interest to improve the situation of women in
the province. He noted that residents of Panjshir enjoy
isolation from the violence which accompanies terrorism and
illicit drug production. Officials in Panjshir, he added,
can therefore focus their attention on developing their
province and improving the quality of life of their citizens.
The Governor also voiced his frustration with the Panjshir
Director of Women's Affairs, who he considers inept.

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Working with the Governor. . .
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3. (SBU) In meetings with the Governor, the PRT has noted
our agreement with his assessment of the Director of Women's
Affairs. We outlined our approach to exploit Panjshir
opportunities by working around the Director of Women's
Affairs while not undermining the office of the Directorate.
This balancing act has been carried out in four meetings with
the women of Panjshir. The USAID representative has worked
with the Director to set up cultural-exchange meetings in
four of the seven districts of Panjshir. All female PRT
staff were invited to participate. Two of the meetings were
organized with the support of the female Provincial Council
member representing those districts as a way to support other
female officials of Panjshir. Through these four meetings
the PRT has been able to speak directly with approximately
150 women, without the self-interested filter of the Director
of Women's Affairs.

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. . . and around the Director
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4. (SBU) On November 26, with the PRT present, the Governor
summoned the Director of Women's Affairs to his office to
review her performance. He told her she had neglected her
core responsibilities; wandered into other fields outside her
purview, such as distributing school supplies and
humanitarian assistance; engaged only feebly in advocacy for
women; failed to plan for her Directorate; and represented
the women of Panjshir in an unprofessional manner. The PRT
agrees with the Governor's assessment. The Director has not
fulfilled commitments she has made to the PRT. For example,
she pledged several times -- and then reneged -- to take the
PRT to see a women's bakery she claimed to be supporting.
The PRT has not been able to verify that the bakery even
exists. Further, our contacts have voiced suspicion that she
willfully sabotaged a cultural-exchange meeting for her own
political ends.


5. (U) The PRT is working around the weak director by
dealing with other directors. The PRT has worked through two
of the strongest directors, the Director of Education and the
Director of Health, to improve service delivery to women.
With the assistance of the Director of Education and drawing
on CERP funds, the PRT has nearly completed construction of a
sixteen room girls, high school in the provincial capital

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district. The PRT is also helping, again with CERP support,
to rehabilitate the teacher's training center, through which
the Director of Education aims to increase the number of
female school teachers.


6. (U) To cite additional examples, the Director of
Education has assisted in coordinating English class for
girls, to be taught by PRT staff during their free time. The
Director of Health has been active in assisting the PRT in
identifying clinics in need of mother and child health care
equipment. In addition, the Director of Health has
facilitated Medical Civil Affairs Programs (MEDCAPS) in some
of the most remote regions of the Valley, in which the U.S.
Military has provided female health care professionals to
treat women who often have little or no access to health care



7. (SBU) The Governor often mentions the importance of
including women in development initiatives. He has expressed
his disappointment in "missed opportunities." He told the
PRT he was considering replacing the Director to revitalize
the portfolio.


8. (C) In a December 12 meeting with Deputy Minister for
Women's Affairs Mazari Safa and Director of the Ministry's
Provincial Relations Department Karima Solek, both officials
commented to Poloff the Panjshir director for women's affairs
is "not a very well educated woman," implying that this
impedes her ability to work effectively with counterparts in
local government. They also noted that the provincial
government officials were not always as cooperative as they
could be with the director. Solek said that they have
removed directors from their positions in the past when
internal investigations have shown that the directors were
not fulfilling their mandate. The Deputy Minister told
Poloff that she is personally committed to ensuring the
Ministry has the best people possible working in the
provinces.

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COMMENT
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9. (SBU) The Director of Women's Affairs for Panjshir is
weak at best, and obstructionist at worst. The PRT
assessment is that she is the weakest line director in
Panjshir. At the same time, the portfolio is an important
one, recognized by Governor Bahlul and, before him, the
mujahideen leader Massoud. The opportunity is enhanced by a
cultural openness to the advancement of women.


10. (U) The creativity required to extend the reach of the
Afghan Government, while not supporting an ineffective or
corrupt representative, is a main challenge of our work.
This example in Panjshir is a case study in the work-around
strategy. The PRT has been able to get information directly
from the women of Panjshir through cultural exchanges. In
addition, the PRT has been able to directly address some of
their needs by working through other line ministers. The PRT
will continue with this strategy in order to optimize the
opportunities for women in the unique Panjshir setting.
Embassy will continue to raise the importance of having
competent and capable provincial directors of women's affairs
with Ministry contacts on a regular basis. END COMMENT
NEUMANN