Mission

The U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council (USAWC) is a non-partisan public-private partnership that convenes governments, civil society and the private sector around the goal of supporting Afghan women and girl’s education, healthcare, economic empowerment and leadership. The Council leverages public and private resources to advance member-driven initiatives and highlights the experiences and needs of Afghan women and girls.  

The U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council (USAWC) was founded in 2002 as a public-private partnership. The USAWC is based out of Georgetown University and is co-chaired by the President of Georgetown University and the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, alongside the Afghan Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Afghan Minister for Women’s Affairs. 

Under the leadership of First Ladies Laura Bush, Hillary R. Clinton, and Rula Ghani, all of whom serve together as the Honorary Co-Chairs of the USAWC, the Council has worked to address areas of need identified by Afghan women, convening interested partners and brokering connections to meaningful sustainable platforms. Through the individual initiatives and collaborative efforts of its members, who are leaders in government, the private sector, academia and philanthropy, the Council has taken steps to advance the lives of Afghan women and children.