Who We Are

University Women Helping Afghan Women (UWHAW)

About Us

Welcome to University Women Helping Afghan Women (UWHAW). We are a group of CFUW-Ottawa members who are committed to supporting education for women in Afghanistan. We meet monthly (in-person and by Zoom) to hear speakers talk on a broad range of topics related to Afghanistan. We also organize fundraising events and advocate to increase awareness of, and help improve, the lives of Afghan women in Afghanistan.

Despite the challenges that have arisen with the takeover of the country by the Taliban, we are continuing to support the women in Afghanistan with their education.

Our Guiding Principles

We aim to support education and human rights for Afghan women by focusing on three guiding principles:

To continue to learn about the realities of life in Afghanistan, and the ongoing challenges that face the women and girls,
To raise awareness of such locally, nationally, and internationally, and to advocate for their rights, and
To support these women and girls in Afghanistan as we can with special emphasis on their tertiary education.

The UWHAW Team

Setting the Course: Our Priorities 2023 - 2024

Communication. Enhance communication strategies through the completion of website development, establishment of a UWHAW material repository, evaluation and enhancement of presentation materials for external audiences to address identified gaps, and creation of a stock photo inventory for presentation purposes.

Finance & Online Education Program. Evaluate the progress of the initial 12 students in the Online Education RCA program, and upon success, extend support to another group. Investigate cost-effective methods to enhance support for additional female participants. Continuously promote the RCA program, incorporating fundraising efforts, to ensure sustained growth and impact.

Program. Systematically monitor developments in Afghanistan and Canadian policies and events to recruit speakers, ensuring members receive pertinent information to maintain the visibility of the Afghan story. Additionally, execute a membership survey to gauge interest in upcoming programming and tailor future initiatives accordingly.

Advocacy. Obtain approval for the Terms of Reference to facilitate access to CFUW member clubs nationwide, fostering heightened advocacy for Afghan women and girls in Afghanistan and Canada. Promote the adoption of the Right to Learn Afghanistan (formerly Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WAfghan)) Higher Education Toolkit by Canadian higher education institutions to support continued education for Afghan women. Sustain the community series on newcomers, letters to the editor, and letters to elected representatives ongoing.

Operations. Secure a facility with appropriate technology and technical support for hybrid meetings. Enhance meeting invitations for increased visual appeal and streamline meeting statistics processes for simplicity, all accomplished within the year.

Networking. Expand strategic networking efforts to raise awareness and inspire action supporting the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, especially concerning their education, and facilitating opportunities where possible. Further leverage networks to provide ongoing assistance to the two Gawharshad families who were integral to the success of our girl's scholarship program.

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