Human Rights and Gender Awareness in Development Discourse: An Afghanistan Case Study.

This paper uses a case study of Afghanistan to explore the use of human rights and gender awareness frameworks in a development context, generally, and the policies and activities aimed at addressing the needs of women and/or gender-differentiated interests, in particular. Focusing on two multi-lateral, UN development organizations (UNDP, UNIFEM) and two local, grassroots development organizations (AWN, Oruj) working in Afghanistan, this study asks the following questions: (1) When, if ever, are human rights framings and gender awareness used to inform the discourse and policies of these development agencies? (2) What are the challenges of implementing human rights and gender awareness frameworks in development work? In order to answer these questions, this research primarily draws upon interviews with employees and consultants of those agencies and organizations in Afghanistan, as well as to my field notes and an analysis of UN policy reports and material culture of AWN and Oruj. This paper proposes that human rights and gender awareness frameworks are present in these organizations' discourses, but that the applications of such frameworks have been riddled with challenges. By examining how UN and local development workers understand and justify the incorporation of human rights and gender awareness into their work, as well as the problems that accompany their presence, this paper aims to engender a greater understanding of the forces shaping development and rights work in Afghanistan. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]