With the 12.6% estimated literacy rate of Afghan females, the Dyana Afghan Women's Fund is one of the most relevant charities providing aid to Afghanistan. Women of the South Central Asian country have been struggling for centuries under religious, cultural and ideological discrimination, often times paying with their lives just for receiving education or for the simple act of reading. Even after the collapse of the Taliban regime, the average years of education an Afghan female receives barely stands at four.

Literacy is one of the most effective measures against religious extremism and oppression. The Taliban attempts to exercises control over the population by keeping Afghans isolated, uneducated and uninformed. Newspapers and radio are a clear threat to the insurgency, as these forms of media inform people about the Afghan government, a strong Afghan National Army, democracy, elections, the exsitence of a currency, international aid and educational opportunities.

The Dyana Afghan Women's Fund provides a five-level program that meets Ministry of Education requirements and provides graduates with a diploma that helps them find employment.

http://www.dawf.ca