For some women in Nuristan, Salma work is more than a traditional craft; it is a way to earn an income and help cover family expenses. However, limited job opportunities, the need for training, and the lack of support programs to help market their products pose major challenges to the expansion of Salma work.
Salam Watandar interviewed 29 employed youth aged 21 to 35, including 13 girls and 16 boys, across 12 provinces to assess their financial plans. Among the youth interviewed, 14, including 10 girls and four boys, had invested in small businesses or other economic activities, while the remaining 15, including three girls and 12 boys, had not made any investments.
The sound of tools and stones being carved fills Noori’s workshop. Women carefully work on the stones, shaping them into different forms. For these women, stone engraving is more than an art. It is an opportunity to learn new skills, earn an income, and support their families.
A number of residents of Nangarhar Province who work in olive processing say that investment in the olive industry can create job opportunities and help generate income for others.
Support from aid organizations has given some women who returned to Afghanistan an opportunity to use their skills again to start small businesses after experiencing unemployment and economic problems.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with UN Women, has launched an initiative to help women entrepreneurs access financial resources to start and grow their businesses.
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.
