Women-led health promotion: Building community resilience in Afghanistan

Case study – Afghan Red Crescent and Finnish Red Cross, 2025

The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS), with support from the Finnish Red Cross (FRC), has implemented a Community Based Health Programme spanning 40 communities across Kabul, Herat, and Bagdhis provinces. The project demonstrates how women and girls, despite societal limitations, have become powerful agents of change in health promotion, disease prevention, and hygiene (including menstrual hygiene) practices.

By building upon existing social structures and trusted relationships, the project creates sustainable change that persists
despite ongoing challenges. The grandmothers’ clubs, school health education, and female volunteer networks collectively demonstrate that when women are positioned as knowledge￾holders and change agents rather than passive recipients of aid, community health resilience grows.