KABUL (SW): When you enter the Women's Garden in Kabul, plenty of festivity grips you such as groups of young girls playing around in the backdrop of sights and sounds of women busy working on handicrafts.
Embroidering on a variety of fabrics and creatively crafting different jewellery items remain traditional expertise of many women in Afghanistan. But, nowadays these crafts are no longer considered as a mean for mere home entertainment; it has become an industry with the cooperation of state and international institutions, and the products produced in this process are decorated as "handicrafts".
Shirin Akbari, head of carpet weaving and handicrafts association, has a workshop in Women's Garden, in which 30 women and girls are working in different sections. When I entered her workshop, I saw pieces and colourful fabrics cut professionally, and some of them were working on them.
There was also another workshop where some ladies were working on precious and semi-precious stones. It looked like they were making necklaces, bracelets and rings.
After visiting her workshop, I walked to a corner with her to ask some questions about her business. Shirin informed that she has been working here for the past 15 years, and has trained more than 50 women here in the past four months.
Shirin informed it all started with rather difficulties and an initial loan of AFN 10, 000. She said despite many hardships and impediments she never succumbed to failure or disappointment. Now, the net value of her business has reached one million and five hundred thousand afghanis.
She said it is her dream to provide jobs for all widowed and poor women.
Najma Ayubi is a woman entrepreneur, and has been working in the handicrafts sector for the past 16 years. She was sitting under the shadow of a tree resting. I went to talk with her as well.
Najma was very pleased that she is a breadwinner of her family, and her hand is not extended before anyone for help. When I spoke to this hardworking woman, she repeated this phrase frequently. "I earn bread for my children with the tip of the needle."
Up to 20 girls work on handbags, embroidered shoes and sacks. All of these products are made of leather patches with modern designs. Some of these products are really stunning and admirable.
Najma considers the changes that have taken place in past sixteen years as positive and encouraging, and believes that, in any case, the government has practical plans in place for positively changing the social, cultural and economic situation of women.
Najma is very pleased with her career and says that her entire income is spent on the education and training of her children, and she does not want anything else from them other than focusing on their studies.
A while ago, the First Lady Rula Ghani reassured that that the National Unity Government would use all of its resources for support, employment and self-sufficiency of women in the country. The Minister for Women's Affairs, Delbar Nazari, has also said at the same meeting that women's economic growth is directly linked to reducing domestic violence.
In order to further explore the government's policy for women's employment, I went to the Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Muneza Wafiq, chairperson of the AWCCI, considered the role of women in the growth of the country's economy very important and urged citizens to buy their handicrafts to empower women.
She said the chamber is striving hard for marketing, training, and improving the quality of products produced by women.
The workshop in Women’s Garden is an example of the strong will and dedication of Afghan women. These handicrafts prove gender is not an issue, and these women by ignoring the dark past are focused on building a more promising and bright future.
ENDS