Humanitarian Assistance for the Women and Children of Afghanistan (HAWCA) was established in January 1999 by a group of youth Afghan women and men. HAWCA's establishment was motivated by the despair and devastation suffered by Afghan women and children as victims of war and injustice in Afghanistan and as refugees in Pakistan. Living under the same conditions and experiencing the same misery as millions of Afghans in Afghanistan and in Pakistan during the civil war, the leading members of HAWCA committed to achieving their aims and objectives as volunteers, and devoted their efforts to improving the lives of Afghans under difficult circumstances, from the era of Taliban domination to today's insecure Afghanistan.

HAWCA encourages the active participation of Afghan women and youth in the reconstruction and development processes of their country, and works in partnership with institutions and organizations that focus on just development in Afghanistan.