In a small corner of Herat, a busy workshop has become a source of income and hope for dozens of women and girls. Started a year ago by a woman entrepreneur, it now employs 30 people making various types of electric lamps. The workshop produces LED, energy-efficient, and decorative lamps, which are sold locally to meet part of the market demand.
Elhama Mohammadi, who has worked there for a year, says they make 100 to 200 lamps daily. She believes that working in the workshop has allowed women not only to earn money but also to take part in productive work.
Sohaila Sediqi, another worker, says she has been there for six months, her job is mainly winding wires. She adds that after initial training, many girls go on to work independently in different parts of production.
Alina Tokhi says having girls in such jobs shows that women, like men, can do any kind of work. “I used to think this was only for men, but I realized any job men can do, women can do too,” she says.
Farzana Mohammadi, the Royal’s workshop manager, explains that the goal is to empower women economically. She had been trained in Iran, she says limited equipment and resources have restricted the number of girls who can join. “In the first month, over 100 girls wanted to enroll, but we could only hire 30 girls due to budget constraints,” she adds.
Economic experts in Herat note that many women have business skills, but their work is rarely recognized formally. Nazir Ahmad Sadid says such businesses can give women economic security and turn them from consumers into producers. “Most women’s businesses operate in the informal market. Their skills are high, but because their work isn’t officially recognized, they are quickly pushed out,” he says.
This lamp-making workshop is a clear example of women working to become self-reliant. With the light of their handmade lamps, they have brightened not only homes but also the path of their own lives.
Reporter: Kobra Salari
