KABUL (SW): With each passing day, the numbers of female chefs and waitresses are steadily rising signifying a healthy change in working conditions for women in Afghanistan.
Muzda Nasiri, a waitress at one of Kabul’s bustling restaurants, told Salam Watandar it has been more than a year since she is working here. She admitted, it was not that easy in the beginning, but things have improved a lot.
Muzda added the society was not accepting her as a waitress in the beginning and she was afraid of working alongside men, but the owner of the restaurant encouraged her, and now she feels comfortable. Muzda feels proud to be the first female waitress in the city.
Mursal is another female waitress serving in one coffee shop in the capital city. She sighed that many people in the society still believe it is not appropriate for females to work alongside men in a hotel, restaurant or coffee shop. For her too, the initial phase was quite stressful, but things improved later on as the clients got used to the change.
The Ai-Khanoum coffee shops named after the historical Alexandria on the Oxus, one of the primary cities of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom, has a number of female employees who happily work alongside men. Management of these coffee shops said its aim is to counter gender-based discrimination and create job opportunities for women and girls.
ENDS
