(MENAFN - Pajhwok Afghan News) KABUL (Pajhwok): A new €˜state-of-the-art€™ three-story dormitory, designed to house 200 female students, was inaugurated at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul on Wednesday.

US Ambassador John R. Bass, USAID Assistant to the Administrator for Afghanistan and Pakistan Gregory Huger, and AUAF Registrar Dr. Julie Barker Holland inaugurated the women€™s dormitory constructed with support from USAID€™s Promote Gender Equity and Women€™s Empowerment program.

A USAID statement said the new facility was designed to increase female attendance at AUAF by providing a safe and secure living and learning environment.

The dormitory € a three-story 3,000 square meter building includes living quarters for up to 200 students, study and lounge areas, and administrative space.

To expand housing opportunities to the broadest possible range of women, priority placement will be given to women from outside the capital, who are unable to commute to classes.

From its inception, the women€™s dormitory was designed to advance women€™s empowerment. Fifteen female engineering graduates from Kabul University participated in the dormitory€™s design and construction, receiving on-the-job training and increasing their skills.

Established in 2006, the American University of Afghanistan has played a key role in educating the next generation of Afghan civic, business, and government leaders.

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