U.S. Afghan Women's Council

What U.S. Afghan Women's Council does

The U.S. Afghan Women's Council (USAWC) is a non-partisan public-private partnership founded in 2002 and hosted at Georgetown University's Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD) in Washington, D.C. The Council convenes government, civil society, private sector, academic, and philanthropic leaders to advance initiatives for Afghan women and girls across four program areas: Health, Education, Economic Empowerment, and Leadership Development. Honorary Co-Chairs are former First Ladies Laura Bush and Hillary R. Clinton; operational co-chairs are Georgetown University's President and the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues.

The Council's principal programmatic delivery vehicle is the Women's Initiative to Strengthen and Empower (WISE) Afghanistan, a member organization that provides community-based healthcare — including malnutrition, maternal and child health, and menstrual health and hygiene services — to over 8,000 women and children in geographies with limited facility access. WISE Afghanistan developed Salamat, the first maternal health mobile application in Afghanistan, launched in January 2018 and piloted across five Kabul health facilities with Johns Hopkins University support. The Afghanistan Ministry of Health has approved nationwide expansion of the app. Distribution is primarily through member organizations and a University Network for Afghan Women.

USAWC operates as a non-profit with no fee-for-service pricing; resourcing comes from a public-private mix of government partners, private sector members, and philanthropy. The team is small (5 employees), and in 2023 the Council supported the launch of the broader U.S.-Afghan Women's Coalition led by the George W. Bush Institute to extend its advocacy footprint beyond the original 23-year charter.

Name

U.S. Afghan Women's Council

Legal name

U.S. Afghan Women's Council

Website

https://gucchd.georgetown.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The U.S. Afghan Women's Council is a non-profit public-private partnership founded in 2002 and hosted at Georgetown University, convening government, private sector, and academic leaders to advance health, education, economic empowerment, and leadership initiatives for Afghan women and girls through member organizations such as WISE Afghanistan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Advocacy and Gender Equity Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) NGOs (HLAJAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) Partnerships (HLAJAOAG)

Keywords

• Women's empowerment advocacy
• Humanitarian health programs
• Public-private partnership
• Gender equity initiatives
• Maternal health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public-Private Partnership Funding: The USAWC operates as a non-partisan public-private partnership that leverages public and private resources to advance member-driven initiatives. Funding comes from government partners, private sector members, and philanthropy.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The U.S. Afghan Women's Council (USAWC) is a non-partisan public-private partnership based at Georgetown University that convenes governments, civil society, the private sector, and philanthropy to advance initiatives in education, healthcare, economic empowerment, and leadership development for Afghan women and girls. The Council operates through member-driven initiatives, including WISE Afghanistan which delivers direct healthcare services and developed the Salamat maternal health mobile application.

Product overview

The U.S. Afghan Women's Council (USAWC) is a non-partisan public-private partnership based at Georgetown University that supports Afghan women and girls through four main program areas: Health, Education, Economic Empowerment, and Leadership Development. The council operates through member-driven initiatives, including the WISE Afghanistan program which provides healthcare access and developed the Salamat maternal health mobile application. Founded in 2002 under the leadership of First Ladies Laura Bush and Hillary R. Clinton, the council is co-chaired by the President of Georgetown University and the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8,000 women and children provided with healthcare access through WISE Afghanistan
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Georgetown UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002The USAWC is based out of Georgetown University, specifically hosted at the Center for Child and Human Development. Georgetown's President co-chairs the Council alongside the U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues.
• George W. Bush InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe George W. Bush Institute leads the new U.S.-Afghan Women's Coalition, building on the 23-year legacy of the Council. This represents a major expansion of the partnership structure.
• U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's IssuescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues co-chairs the Council alongside Georgetown University's President, providing high-level government leadership and connections.
• Women's Initiative to Strengthen and Empower (WISE) AfghanistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWISE Afghanistan is a member of the USAWC housed at GUCCHD. The organization provides access to basic healthcare for thousands of women in communities with limited health facility access, focusing on malnutrition, maternal and child health, and menstrual health and hygiene.
• Johns Hopkins UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohns Hopkins University provided support for the Salamat maternal health application pilot, working with WISE Afghanistan on the mobile health initiative.
• U.S. Afghan Women's CoalitionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerA new coalition launched to advance policies, encourage solidarity and action, and lift the perspectives and experiences of Afghan women, children, and other vulnerable populations. Led by the George W. Bush Institute.
• Ministry of Health (Afghanistan)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfghanistan's Ministry of Health approved the expansion of the Salamat maternal health application throughout the country after successful pilot results.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• UN Women: UN entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. Operates programs in Afghanistan and globally, addressing overlapping themes of women's rights, health, and leadership.
• Vital Voices Global Partnership: Global non-profit that invests in women leaders across sectors and countries, including in Afghanistan. Comparable mission of women's leadership and economic empowerment with broader geographic scope.

Direct peers

• Women for Afghan Women: A U.S.-based non-profit that provides services and advocacy for Afghan women, including shelters, legal aid, education, and health programs. Direct peer serving the same population with overlapping service lines.
• WISE Afghanistan: WISE Afghanistan is a core member organization of USAWC housed at GUCCHD that provides direct healthcare access to Afghan women and children, developed the Salamat maternal health app, and serves the same ultimate beneficiaries in the same geographies.
• Afghan Women's Network: An Afghan-led coalition of women-focused organizations advocating for Afghan women's rights and delivering programs across Afghanistan and the diaspora. Comparable mission and structure to USAWC's convening model.

Emerging players

• Malala Fund: Global non-profit advocating for girls' education with active programming in Afghanistan. Overlaps with USAWC's education focus area and serves Afghan girls as a primary beneficiary group.
• George W. Bush Institute (Women's Initiative): Flagship partner of USAWC that leads the new U.S.-Afghan Women's Coalition. Focused on women's empowerment and policy advocacy, addressing adjacent populations but with broader geographic remit.

Others

• Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security: Georgetown University-based research institute focused on women, peace, and security. Sits within the same institution (Georgetown) and shares overlapping research and advocacy agendas related to Afghan women's issues.
• Carter Center - Women's Health Programs: Non-profit founded by former President Carter that runs global health and democracy programs, including mental health and women's health initiatives. Comparative model for high-profile political leadership driving NGO convening and program delivery.

Regional players

• International Rescue Committee: Major humanitarian organization operating in Afghanistan with programs addressing women's health, education, and economic empowerment. Comparable delivery of services in the same geography with broader refugee/crisis mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Georgetown
• Facebookfacebook.com/USAfghanWC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/us-afghan-womens-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/usafghanwc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about U.S. Afghan Women's Council