Afghan women for women organization signed an agreement with Ministries of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled, Ministry of Justice and Attorney General Office in Kabul last Wednesday.
The agreement includes two centers under name of “Support Center for Children of Incarcerated Mothers” in north east and north west of the country.
One of these centers will be built in Kunduz which cover North East provinces of the country and the second will be built in Balkh which covers North West provinces of the country.
According to Afghan women for women organization, those children who live with their mothers in prison will be taken to Support Center for Children of Incarcerated Mothers in order to make the education possible for them.
Manizha Nadiri director of Afghan women for women organization said that all facilities will provided in these centers.
She added that after these centers are built in Balkh and Kunduz, all those children who live with their mother in prisons in North East and North East provinces will be transferred to mentioned centers for education.
Manizha Nadiri said that their organization has signed two protocols for children support centers in order to keep up those children whose mothers are incarcerated until their release from prison; she added that their programs are not temporary/short term, these programs continue until the children finish schools, start universities or until their mother gets rid from prison and surrender their children.
Meanwhile Afghan women for women organization created same center in Kabul city last year and more than 60 children whose mothers are incarcerated in Pul-e-Charkhi prison are being maintained and trained in this center.
Director of this organization according to result of one year activities of Support Center for Children of Incarcerated Mothers said that the result of these activities are acceptable and are very efficient.
She said: “situation of children was very disquieting in prisons and children whose mothers have committed a crime should not be kept with their mothers in prison, we have taken 36 children from prisons and start training of them in these centers, and this number has increased to 60 children now. She added that these children were illiterate at beginning, even they didn’t know social courtesy but they are registered in schools after four month education period and as we observed them recently around 20 of them have gotten first position in their classes.
Meanwhile Wasil Noor Mohmand, Assistant of Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled said that creation of Support Center for Children of Incarcerated Mothers in Balkh and Kunduz will help that those children whose mothers are in prison will be facilitated with educations.
He added that 58 children with their mothers live in prisons of North East provinces and 48 other are in North West provinces.
Mr. Mohmand said: “after these children transferred to mention centers, they will meet their mothers once a month in prison.”
A number of children live in prisons with their mothers who are not criminal, therefore Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled and Ministry of Education decided to prepare them education centers.
He added that Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled, Ministry of Justice and Afghan Women for Women Organization have a tripartite agreement that based on, Support Center for Children of Incarcerated Mothers will be created, and these children will meet their mothers for one or two hours each month, in order these children are not deprived from maternal affection, he also added: “activities of Afghan Women for Women Organization were found efficient in an observation, therefore the decision is taken to create two more Support Center for Children of Incarcerated Mothers.
Meantime Qasim Hashimzai Assistant of Ministry of Justice said that this ministry struggle to a better situation for children who live with their mothers in prison.
Assistant of Justice Ministry approve some of the predicaments/difficulties and said that there was no subsistence/livelihood for children who live with their mothers in prisons before but this issue is intended for them now.
He stated: “Ministry of Justice efforts to make the condition better for mother and children in prisons, he added that these children have subsistence by efforts of Ministry of Justice which they hadn’t had before.”
According to figures 490 women are incarcerated all over the country which 260 children live with them too, among them 125 women with 64 children live in Kabul, Pul-e-Charkhi prison.
From other side the second agreement which was signed between Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled, Attorney General Office and Ministry of Justice is about implementation of education and vocational studies.
Manizha Nadiri Director of Afghan Women for Women said that the organization plan to facilitate vocational education for incarcerated women and women in Safe Homes.
“We have created an educational office for women who are released from prison and women who released from Safe Homes and at the same time, are not kept up by their family will learn vocational education in these centers in order solve their problem themselves, said Mrs. Nadiri.”
Meantime Qudsya Nyazai head of Private Attorney of Violation Against Women said that these programs are effective for women self-sufficient.
She beside supporting of these centers by Attorney General Office said that Attorney General Office will monitor activities of these centers.
“Responsibilities of Attorney General Office along with implementation of this program are that this organ should coordinate and support discovery organs based on law during problem raise, article 28 of this agreement say that Attorney General Office with coordination of Justice Ministry should introduce and prepare list of those women released from prison and are eligible for the organization, from other side those detainee who are released by order of president should be introduced to this center if they wanted.”
Assistant of Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled supports vocational education for women and said that this is an effective step over self- sufficient of women.
Assistant of Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled said: “according to agreement the organization is responsible to work in two sectors, first are those women who are released from prison; the organization is not responsible for them if they want to live with their family otherwise the organization should facilitate them with trainings and education in Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif and Kunduz, and according to agreement the organization should facilitate employment for them in the prison and out the it.”
It is to be reminded that children and women are vulnerable layer of the community therefore serious actions are needed to be taken for making their life better.
According to speech of Afghan Women for Women, this organization is created in 2006 in order to support vulnerable women and those who are faced violation in Afghanistan
