of Vocational Development Programs and establishment of Producer Associations. These courses are market driven and centre-based. The subject for each course is based on a market-analysis to ensure they are in line with local demand, so graduates can find employment and/or start businesses in their local districts and towns. Each course, which trains up to 20 trainees for a period of up to 7 months, includes daily practice sessions to ensure maximum transfer of technical skills. In addition to the technical skills, trainees get basic literacy and numeracy, including necessary business management skills. DACAAR provides each graduate trainee with a toolkit and the option for receiving a grant to start own business. They are further entitled to expert advice and support by DACAAR field trainers during the first six months of starting a business. Regular data collection and analysis from our vocational training graduates show that 90% of the graduates have successfully used the start-up grant to start small businesses in their local areas. Between 2014 and 2017, have they successfully graduated close to 650 trainees (33% women) from their courses in 9 provinces of Afghanistan. They plan to train another 2,800 in 12 provinces by 2021. Linked closely with the activities under Natural Resources Management component, DACAAR facilitate farmers to engage in collective value chain activities by supporting the establishment of Producer Associations. Each association brings together as many as 150 farmers to collectively engage in processing, packaging, branding and marketing of their products in the local markets. This gives the association members the ability to negotiate better market prices for their products, as opposed to if they engage the market individually. Women’s Empowerment In addition to targeting women and girls as part of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Natural Resource Management and Small-Scale Enterprise Development programmes, DACAAR carries out initiatives, exclusively, targeting women and girls to help increase Afghan women’s sphere of influence and livelihoods in the rural, peri-urban and urban areas of the country. The social interventions are implemented under the auspices of Women’s Resource Centres. Women’s Resource Centres are self-organised collectives creating opportunities for member women to participate in income-generating activities and targeted educational and capacity building programs. The centres serve as the primary vehicle for the Women’s Empowerment activities, allowing rural women to come together in a safe women-only environment, which is culturally accepted. The women train, learn, and develop leadership skills, engage in small