VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBUL #0615/01 0710517
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110517Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 3200

UNCLAS KABUL 000615 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/TIP SHEREEN FARAJ AND MARK FORSTROM 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC ELAB KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG AF
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN'S TIP SOLICITATIONS FOR G/TIP-MANAGED FY 2008 
ESF and INCLE FUNDS 
 
REF: 07 STATE 161503 
 
¶1. Post has received four proposals and submits summary information 
below. 
 
¶2. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) requests USD 
234,014 for a "Prevention of Human Trafficking in Vulnerable 
Provinces" project to last 12 months. 
 
Recognizing that one of the major reasons for the prevalence of 
human trafficking in Afghanistan is the lack of awareness of the 
issue among the general population, IOM intends to launch an 
awareness campaign, targeting key areas bordering Pakistan, Iran and 
Tajikistan where people are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. 
The proposed project will mobilize community members, including 
government officials, religious leaders and social workers, in a 
joint effort to combat the crime through roundtable discussions. 
IOM will also build the capacity of local media and support the 
production of counter-trafficking media spots for nationwide 
broadcasting. 
 
The specific activities proposed in this project are as follows: 
- To organize a total of five roundtable discussions in Kunduz, 
Mazar-i-Sharif, Nangarhar, Paktya and Herat for the representatives 
of concerned governmental agencies, religious leaders, social 
workers and members of mass media in order to raise their awareness 
of human trafficking and to encourage them to join forces to combat 
this crime. 
- To organize two training sessions for teachers from Kabul, Kunduz 
and Mazar-i-Sharif 
- To launch a Youth Volunteers Movement against human trafficking 
- To train members of the most popular TV and Radio stations and 
print media on human trafficking issues in Afghanistan 
 
The project will generate the following results: 
- Approximately 250 government officials, religious leaders, social 
workers and members of mass media in five provinces with high 
prevalence of trafficking will receive comprehensive information 
about trafficking in persons, 
- A total of 600 teachers, or 200 from each of the three provinces, 
will attend training sessions and gain information about human 
trafficking. 
- A total of 450 students will be trained on trafficking issues and 
the Youth Volunteers Movement against human trafficking will be 
launched, 
- A total of 100 members of mass media will be trained in Kabul and 
engaged in the counter-trafficking information campaign. 
 
¶3. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) requests USD 
490,024 for a "Measures to Prevent and Combat Trafficking in Persons 
in Afghanistan" project to last 24 months. 
 
While Afghanistan signed and subsequently ratified the United 
Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime on 24 
September 2003, the Trafficking Protocol has not yet been signed or 
ratified.  A country of origin, destination and transit, Afghanistan 
still does not prohibit all forms of trafficking in persons and due 
to cultural mores, some victims of trafficking continue to be 
arrested or otherwise punished for prostitution and morality crimes. 
 However, the Ministry of Justice is in the process of drafting an 
anti-trafficking law that will be submitted to Parliament in mid 
¶2008. 
 
Thus, this project aims to complement the impending anti-trafficking 
legislation to strengthen the capacity of the government and the 
responses of the judiciary, prosecutors, law enforcement as well as 
civil society to adopt policies to prevent as well as investigate, 
prosecute, consider and adjudicate cases of human trafficking. 
 
Carried out in line with the requirements of the Trafficking 
Protocol and the UN Convention against Transnational Organized 
Crime, the project will create a comprehensive legal framework and 
an effective institutional structure to prevent and combat human 
trafficking in Afghanistan by establishing a pool of national 
experts of the judiciary, prosecutors, law enforcement and civil 
society to make up a National Commission to Combat Human 
Trafficking.  UNODC will support this Commission to deal with all 
human trafficking related issues and to coordinate all project 
activities among the key stakeholders of the project.  This body 
will be responsible for developing, reviewing, and monitoring 
counter-trafficking strategies and action plans and responsible for 
guiding and monitoring its effective implementation, including a 
National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. 
 
Based on a situational analysis and legislative assessment, 
specialized multi-disciplinary training will be developed and 
provided to the judiciary, prosecutors, law enforcement and members 
of civil society at the provincial level to establish specialized 
task forces to combat trafficking. 
 
¶4. The All Afghan Women Union (AAWU) requests USD 443,432 for a 
"Tackling Trafficking of Violence-affected Women in Afghanistan" 
project to last 12 months. 
 
This project will create a shelter in Kabul for women and children 
victims of trafficking, focusing on former women prisoners in need 
of protection who are the most vulnerable to trafficking.  There are 
currently four shelters in Kabul, a city of some 4 million people, 
but these shelters prefer not to house former prisoners.  With the 
goal of accommodating 50 to 60 people and tracking their progress as 
they return to society leading productive lives, the shelter plans 
to provide health and psychiatric counseling; life-skills and 
vocational training through literacy and other courses such as in 
tailoring, handicrafts, embroidery, and carpet weaving; a nurturing 
environment to rebuild self-esteem; and to raise awareness of 
trafficking risks to prevent these women from becoming victims 
again.  Many Afghan women find themselves in prison for refusing 
forced marriages, as a result of accusations by the husband or their 
own family.  A woman who spends a night away in jail is thought to 
bring shame on the family, and in some cases the family will not 
allow them to rejoin the family after they are released from 
incarceration.  Furthermore, due to cultural mores, some victims of 
trafficking continue to be arrested for prostitution and moral 
crimes.  Consequently, these women easily fall into the hands of 
traffickers after their release, with the promise of a job or 
getting out of the country.  They are either trafficked to Iran, 
Pakistan, Gulf countries or sold domestically.  There are more than 
200 women in prison at any one time.  Helping to break the vicious 
cycle of trafficking, this shelter fills a gap that addresses the 
need of helping women, who have been incarcerated as a result of 
forced marriages, to transition back to society and prevent them 
from becoming victims of trafficking again. 
 
¶5. The Afghan Women Skills Development Centre (AWSDC) requests USD 
439,879 for a "Alliance-building to Combat Women Trafficking in 
Afghanistan" project to last 12 months. 
 
In assessing the trafficking issue in Afghanistan, one has to 
examine the geographic location, social, political and economic 
conditions and the living setup of its people. 
Afghanistan is located astride the land routes between the Indian 
subcontinent, Iran, and central Asia.  It is bordered by Pakistan, 
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.  Despite the 
progress of the past few years, Afghanistan remains extremely poor, 
landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, farming, and trade 
with neighboring countries.  It will probably take the remainder of 
the decade and continuing donor aid and attention to raise 
Afghanistan's living standards up from its current status among the 
lowest in the world.  Much of the population continues to suffer 
from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, 
and jobs, but the Afghan government and international donors remain 
committed to improving access to these basic necessities by 
prioritizing infrastructure development, education, housing 
development, jobs programs, and economic reform. 
Afghanistan is a source, transit, and destination country for men, 
women, and children trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual 
exploitation and involuntary servitude. Afghan children are 
trafficked internally and to Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and 
Zimbabwe for commercial sexual exploitation, forced marriage to 
settle debts or disputes, forced begging, debt bondage, service as 
child soldiers, or other forms of involuntary servitude.  Afghan 
women are trafficked internally and to Pakistan and Iran for 
commercial sexual exploitation, and men are trafficked to Iran for 
forced labor.  Afghanistan is also a destination for women and girls 
from China, Iran, and Tajikistan trafficked for commercial sexual 
exploitation. Tajik women and children are also believed to be 
trafficked through Afghanistan to Pakistan and Iran for commercial 
sexual exploitation.   - U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons 
Report, June, 2007 
 
Status of women in the Afghan society is different from others 
because the Afghan women have a "layered" identity. She has a Muslim 
identity together with her  Afghan identity.  This implies that her 
life and position is conditioned and influenced by customary, 
religious and national norms, laws, rules and regulations. Most 
often, however, the reality is that her status under Ananat 
(customary laws) supersede both religious and national laws.  +One 
comes across practices relating to Afghan women that would fail the 
test of compatibility with many provisions of Islamic law as well as 
the constitution and other statutory laws of the country. 
 
The secondary position of the Afghan woman becomes apparent from the 
moment she is born.  Celebrations accompany the birth of a boy, 
while and the birth of girl is greeted with complete silence.  Women 
are , by and large, excluded from inheritance in general and landed 
property in particular.  Before marriage a woman's property remains 
with brothers and after marriage the husband is responsible for all 
dealings regarding property.  In a few families, women have some 
rights.  Where women are educated, own property; they can decide 
other important decisions of their lives. 
 
 
It is an established fact that women are not free under customs and 
local traditions.  She is considered the property of her male family 
members (father, brother, husband).  Sometimes, brides become the 
property of a husband's male hierarchy, especially in case of 
bride-price.  The custom of Toyana (bride price) exists in almost 
all parts of the country.  This practice becomes a source or means 
of exploitation for those involved in human trafficking business. 
 
After getting married, a women's "ownership" is transferred to her 
husband's family which then assumes total control of her life.  Even 
if she is widowed, she still remains the property of her husband's 
male family members or the head of the tribe and any man desirous of 
marrying her is required to deal with them.  A man wanting to marry 
a widow needs to get permission from male in-laws of the widow and 
has to pay back Toyana. On the other hand if they fail to seek 
permission for their marriage, the head of the deceased husband's 
family is considered justified in starting an enmity with the 
proposing person. In some tribes if a widow has daughter or 
daughters, the price will be on the basis of the number of the 
daughter(s).  In some of the tribes the bride price is fixed on the 
basis of clan, cast, weight, and now even on academic qualification. 
e.g. doctor, teacher, etc. 
 
When marriages are decided on the bases of Toyana, then dissolution 
of marriage by divorce is almost impossible due to the concept of 
honor of the man attached to it, coupled with money invested by him. 
 The practice of Toyana reduces women's status to a mere commodity 
and as a matter of property or ownership issue. 
 
In the practice of Toyana, a general psyche based on the concept of 
investment is observed that looks for benefits that have a price 
tag.  If the property has to undergo change for some reason or 
another, monetary returns are also considered as an essential 
pre-requisite.  This very element becomes a key to exploitation of 
women into crimes such as sale of women for forced prostitution, 
bounded labour, drug carriers etc. 
 
WOOD