Capacity Building Opportunities for Local Female and Male Humanitarian Workers in INGOs in Taliban Era After August 2021 in Herat Province, Afghanistan

dc.abstract.en	This study investigates possible capacity building opportunities for local male and female humanitarian personnel, within International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) operating in Herat Province, Afghanistan, following the return of the Taliban in governance in August 2021. Based on the Gender and Development (GAD) approach, this study investigate how women’s and men’s experiences influence access to professional development and training in the humanitarian sector under the new political regime. The GAD approach emphasizes the need to look at development, not just women’s issue, but as part of a composite gender relations and structural discrimination analysis. In the context of Taliban rule, where gender restrictions have been reimposed and women’s presence in public life has been drastically reduced, GAD approach can be a useful tool to assess the differential manners in which men and women are undergoing capacity building. This research also explores the way in which gender roles within humanitarian organizations have been reshaped by the evolving political and cultural climate in Afghanistan. INGOS, while attempting to maintain gender inclusive practices, ace increasing challenges in implementing programs that equally benefit male and female staff. The study seeks to understand how these challenges have affected the delivery and accessibility of professional training, skill enhancement programs, and leadership development initiatives for local staff members. This study highlights a paradox: while humanitarian organizations advocate for inclusion and equality, their ability to implement gender-sensitive policies has been significantly undermined by the current governance structures. As a result, existing inequalities in capacity building access are being exacerbated, particularly for less educated or more junior female staff. In conclusion, this research underscores the importance of applying gender-aware lens to humanitarian programming in conflict-affected and politically restrictive environments. It calls for INGOs to re-evaluate their strategies for staff development to ensure that gender disparities are not only acknowledged but actively addressed, even in challenging operational contexts.
dc.affiliation	Uniwersytet Warszawski
dc.affiliation.department	Wydział Prawa i Administracji
dc.contributor.author	Safar Zadeh, Mitra
dc.contributor.promoter	Bieńczyk-Missala, Agnieszka
dc.contributor.reviewer	Bieńczyk-Missala, Agnieszka
dc.contributor.reviewer	Mikos-Skuza, Elżbieta
dc.date.defence	2025-06-20
dc.date.issued	2025
dc.date.submitted	2025-06-10
dc.identifier.apd	242791
dc.language	en
dc.language.other	pl
dc.publisher	Uniwersytet Warszawski
dc.rights	ClosedAccess
dc.subject.en	Gender and Development
dc.subject.en	Gender equality
dc.subject.en	Gender equity
dc.subject.en	Women Development
dc.subject.en	Humanitarian workers
dc.subject.en	Capacity building
dc.subject.en	INGOs
dc.subject.en	Taliban era
dc.subject.en	August 2021
dc.subject.en	Afghanistan
dc.title	Capacity Building Opportunities for Local Female and Male Humanitarian Workers in INGOs in Taliban Era After August 2021 in Herat Province, Afghanistan
dc.type	MasterThesis