Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan is a two-star charity with an average results reporting grade and reasonable overhead spending. The charity is financially transparent but has low demonstrated impact.

Founded in 1996, Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CWWA) is a charity that works to improve human rights in Afghanistan. The charity focuses on ending women’s oppression and providing all people with equal access to education. CWWA has six main charitable programs: Investing in Basic Education; Emergency Assistance; Technology for Education; Grants and Scholarships; Afghanistan Policy Dialogue; and Public Engagement. 

In F2022, CWWA spent $291k (28% of program spending) on Investing in Basic Education. This program focuses on increasing girls’ enrollment in schools and training teachers to improve the education system. In F2022, it began research in 18 schools to address accessibility challenges for displaced Afghan students and teachers living in refugee camps in Pakistan. It also translated 100 books into Farsi and 100 books into Pashto. From these it created 200 audio books. 

In F2022, CWWA spent $255k (24%) on Emergency Assistance. During the year, it provided Learning Plus Baskets. These contain food for vulnerable families and learning supplies like books. In F2022, CWWA distributed 933 Learning Plus Baskets that reached 5654 individuals. 

CWWA spent $166k (16%) on its Technology for Education program. This program provides Afghans with access to information through a free digital library, as well as an online course platform. In F2022 it added four new courses to its new asynchronous class platform, DD Courses. During the year it also piloted a new platform for live, online learning called DD Classroom. It also added 441 new learning materials to its free digital library.

CWWA spent $128k (12%) on Grants and Scholarships. In F2022, CWWA started a Remote Communication Assistance grant program to help women and girls access online education. During the year, it gave grants to 245 women and girls to help them get things like tablets, power banks, internet access, laptops, and mobile phones. 

In F2022, CWWA spent $95k (9%) on its Afghanistan Policy Dialogue (Advocacy) program. It had 18 media interviews or articles published, launched five advocacy campaigns, and had nine meetings with representatives from the federal government or United Nations. 

During the year, CWWA also spent $74k (7%) on Public Engagement and $47k (4%) on Community & Family Literacy.

Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan received $1.2m in donations and special events revenue in F2022, up 30% from $922kin F2021. Administrative costs are 9% of revenues (less investment income) and fundraising costs are 7% of donations. Total overhead costs are 16%. For each dollar donated 84 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.

Reserve funds of $1.6m can cover program costs for a year and a half at the F2022 level.

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.

Updated on August 24, 2023 by Emily Downing.