Projects

Capacity building and technical support to the Child Protection Secretariat in Afghanistan

Project duration: 2019-2020 (9 months)

Afghanistan is a country that is trying to rebuild itself despite chronic poverty caused by years of war, in a context of extreme violence leading to ongoing insecurity, and under the weight of sometimes restrictive traditions - especially for girls. 

These tensions place children in vulnerable situations: by being displaced within the country, by becoming migrants, by not having access to education (50% of them). The right of children to protection and special measures adapted to their physical and psychological maturity seems inaccessible, whether within the family, the community or even the government. As a result, children are constantly at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation: early marriages, sexual assault, corporal punishment, forced labour, human trafficking, children working on the streets, honour killings, imprisonment, etc. 

This project in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) is funded by UNICEF.  It seeks to improve the protection of children through the system. To this end, a child protection policy will be developed in consultation with stakeholders and partners; the capacity of social workers will be improved through a modus operandi highlighting their functions and responsibilities; recommendations will be made for the performance of MoLSA staff; and finally, an information system on children at risk will be put in place to improve coordination between the various bodies that serve children and produce statistics.

Our objectives

• To ensure a better application of existing protection laws by concretising them in a policy that will include all the issues as well as the roles and responsibilities of the various actors in the protection system
• To apply performance management tools for the staff of the Child Protection Secretariat
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the system through the identification, assessment, intervention and referral of children in need of protection services - by implementing case management protocols by social workers
• Ensure better information management to better inform protection decisions

Achievements 

• 522 people consulted, including 198 children, in 5 provinces
• 4 workshops organised
• 258 professionals better trained and equipped in child protection