HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Seamstresses Farzana Barakzai from western Herat province is the breadwinner of nine-member family who runs a tailoring business and created work opportunities for some other women as well.
She has established a tailoring house in Herat City, the provincial capital, to earn livelihood for herself and some other women who work wither her.
Farzan’s daily earning is dependent on the running of her tailoring machine and she is now engaged working with one of the women business cnetre in Herat City.
Farzan started tailoring after the takeover of the Islamic ‘Emirate of Afghanistan’ (IEA) government and said eight months earlier she got her work license and now she managed the entire tailoring house.
She said: “It has been eight months since I got the work permit from the government of the IEA, and now I have a tailoring house in this market, and eight women work with me, here I arrange the economic needs for my family.”
She seems to be satisfied with her work, she earn up to 30,000 monthly but at the meantime she asked the government to provide opportunity for the export of tailoring products.
If export opportunity for the handicraft and garment products is provided their businesses of women entrepreneur would flourish.
She also stressed that government should not create hurdles in the way of businesswomen but it should support the business in women are involved.
Shamsizada, one of the women in this tailoring house, said she supported her family economically by working in the place.
She said if women are provided with work opportunities it would be a huge help with men back at home and the expenditures of homes would be arranged in the most appropriate manner.
She note men were also struggling with work opportunities and said if equal work opportunities are arranged they could uplift their families financially.
Adeba Waziri, head of the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the western part of the country, said government should take steps in three areas in order to improve women businesses.
Waziri stressed government should organized exhibitions, introduced ways to encourage export and discourage import so that business activities could further flourish in Herat.
Local authorities also pledged support to women business activities and said steps had been taken in this regard.
Governor Spokesperson Mawlavi Nisar Ahmad Elyas said some exhibition with the support of local institutions had been organized in the province amid at support to women businesses and their products, currently, women in some markets are heading with their business activities without any hurdle.
It pertinent to mention that in the past two years, several sewing businesses have been established in Herat province, and after the closure of schools and universities, most girls and women have turned to the sewing profession in this province, and this had led to the creation employment opportunities for hundreds of women in this province.
Farzana runs own business, generates opportunities for others
