For many, running a small business has become the only viable way to earn an income – and a way to support other women who have lost their jobs.
With the help of the UN, these entrepreneurs are able to maintain their livelihoods, often in the face of intense social pressure and strict rules governing the women’s movement.
“It was difficult for women to stay at home. They had to go out and learn,” says Parwin Zafar, who runs a sewing workshop in Mazar-i-Sharif, in the north of the country.
Parwin Zafar in his sewing workshop in Mazar-i-Sharif. It currently employs 16 women.
Her business is one of the few spaces where women can work safely and train others.
Although women are excluded from jobs in government, NGOs and the UN itself, many have found ways to continue working from home or in professions traditionally associated with women.
These include textile production, food processing and carpet weaving – sectors which remain widely accepted by both de facto authorities and local communities.
A lifeline
“Small businesses are the only channel that exists for Afghan women,” says Ms. Zafar. And the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) helps keep this channel open.
The agency has supported more than 89,000 small businesses across Afghanistan, 91 percent of them led by women, creating more than 439,000 jobs.
“These are sectors in which women have historically worked. These traditional businesses are not being challenged,” explains Waheeb Al Eryani, UNDP regional manager in Mazar-i-Sharif.
Shaista Hakimi in her restaurant in Mazar-i-Sharif.
But acceptance doesn’t mean ease.
Many women still face opposition within their homes. For Shaista Hakimi, restaurant owner and mother of three, it was painful and personal. Since her husband’s death two years ago, her father-in-law has pushed her to stop working altogether.
“He says people will make fun of us because ‘your daughter-in-law works’,” she explains. Yet her restaurant, which serves only women, has become a vital community space – and a source of income for the 18 women she now employs.
Staying afloat with UN support
Ms. Hakimi kept her business alive with a UNDP loan and is now seeking a matching grant that would allow her to expand and obtain more secure housing.
“I can rent another place or another building where I can live and do my work,” she says.
Ms. Zafar’s story reflects her experience. When her previous business went bankrupt, she received a subsidized loan from UNDP, invested in new equipment and rebuilt her sewing workshop. It now employs 16 women.
“Thank God I was able to restart my business. This is how I can help more women,” she says.
Navigating Strict Rules
Even the most successful female entrepreneurs have no choice but to rely on male relatives. Decrees requiring women to travel with a male guardian – a mahram – significantly limit their ability to deliver goods, meet customers or negotiate with suppliers.
“Women are not allowed to travel without a mahram. Especially if we want to deliver products to other provinces, we cannot do it,” explains Ms. Zafar.
To run their businesses, many rely on their husbands, brothers or sons who can travel freely.
“They exploit their networks,” explains Mr. Al Eryani. “If they cannot access the market, male family members will sell the products or make deals with wholesalers. »
“The men we are related to support us. They try to sell our products in the community,” adds Ms. Zafar.
Resilience in the face of crisis
Access to markets and financing remains one of the biggest obstacles. Only four percent of Afghan women have access to international markets, and getting a loan often requires multiple guarantors – an obstacle few can overcome.
Yet entrepreneurs supported by UNDP find ways to persist, even as new challenges emerge.
With the recent return of large numbers of Afghans from Iran and Pakistan, several women-led businesses have stepped up to offer jobs to returnees.
“With the support of UNDP, they employed 20, 30, sometimes 40 returnees per company,” explains Mr. Al Eryani. “They have become agents of support and contributors rather than recipients of aid. »
An uncertain future
Despite their resilience, the future of Afghan businesswomen remains uncertain. With girls excluded from education beyond grade 6, the next generation risks missing out on the skills needed to run a business or manage their finances.
Shaista Restaurant welcomes women for on-site dining, while delivery and pickup services are available for both men and women.
“There is a lack of access to financial education,” says Ms. Zafar. “The support we receive is not enough.”
For now, Afghan women entrepreneurs continue to hold their communities together – creating jobs, passing on skills and proving every day that they will not be completely excluded from public life. But without wider access to education and sustained international support, the space they have carved out for themselves could shrink further.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
