A number of women in Siyahgerd district of Parwan say that the launch of a small workshop producing pickles, tomato paste and local dairy products has not only created job opportunities and provided income, but has also increased their self-confidence and given women in the village hope for the future.
24 women in nine provinces of Afghanistan say that entering the job market has improved their families’ financial situations and reduced their dependence on their families. However, low incomes, a lack of suitable markets, limited experience, and a lack of facilities remain the main challenges on their path to achieving financial independence.
For some women and youth in Nangarhar, beekeeping is not only a way to produce honey; it has also become a source of income to cover living expenses and create job opportunities for others. A number of beekeepers in the province say they have been keeping bees for years to earn an income for themselves and their families. They say that if more facilities, professional training, and better marketing opportunities are provided, they can increase honey production.
In a corner of her small, simple workshop, Farida carefully works on a new piece. The silence is broken only by the sounds of the tools she works with. The atmosphere reflects hard work, creativity and hope.
A number of women say their businesses started with a desire to earn an independent income and gradually became a way to support their families, grow personally and create job opportunities for other women.
An idea grew out of a need—an idea that today provides children with a safe place to learn and play while giving families new hope. In Badakhshan province, a young woman has established a private kindergarten, taking a step toward children’s education while also showing how initiative and small investments can help respond to the needs of society.
A three-day exhibition of locally produced goods was held in Daikundi from July 26 to July 28, with 130 stalls, including 90 belonging to women and 40 belonging to men, from all eight districts and the provincial center participating. The exhibition was organized by the Department of Industry and Commerce with financial support from the Aga Khan Foundation. According to officials, its purpose was to showcase local products, create marketing opportunities, and support producers, particularly women.
Among shelves filled with herbal soaps, natural oils, and skincare products, women are busy packaging orders. This small workshop in Herat began with a training experience in Iran and has now created employment opportunities for ten women and girls.
The sound of livestock bells, the smell of fresh milk, and the movement of livestock-owning families across the green slopes of Band-e Bayan—this is the Yaylaq (Ailaq) in Ghor Province, a highland grazing area where, with the arrival of spring, many families move their livestock to make use of the pasturelands.
Three years ago, a young woman in Kabul launched an art workshop with an initial investment of 10,000 Afghanis, producing a variety of products made from epoxy resin. Today, the workshop has provided training and income-generating opportunities for around 200 women.
As the use of social media continues to increase and in-person employment opportunities for women decline, online sales have become an important source of income for many women and girls in Badghis Province. They say that despite ongoing economic hardship, they make efforts to cover part of their living expenses through online businesses.
At a time when farmers are increasingly concerned about declining agricultural productivity caused by climate change, changes in rainfall, soil erosion, and declining soil fertility, the opening of a factory producing organic and chemical fertilizers, equipped with a modern agricultural laboratory, has emerged as a promising initiative to support agricultural production in Balkh Province.
