Herat businesswomen seekmarket for their products

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Businesswomen in western Herat province seeking government’s support, complain about the economic crisis and lack of access to domestic and international markets.
Zainab Mohammadi, a woman in the weaving business, told Pajhwok Afghan News she started her work from home and with cooperation from the NGO called Wadan, her venture flourished.
But after the caretaker government’s takeover, many businesswomen, including her, left their businesses due to financial constraints and lack of access to markets, she said.
Mohammadi urged the incumbent administration to provide them with facilities for the revival of their businesses.
Jamila Faqirian, another businesswoman, also said they were facing a severe economic crisis. She identified the lack of proper marketing as one of their main problems.
Faqirian believed if conditions for women’s business activities were changed and facilities provided, they could sell their products in domestic and international markets. This would help improve the country’s economy, she hoped.
The entrepreneur claimed her products were famous abroad and had many customers. Domestically, however, their sales were zero, she regretted.
Nargis Hashimi, director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Herat, said they had arranged various fairs and exhibitions for the marketing of women’s handicrafts.
According to Hashimi, they are striving to provide training to the women interested in reinvigorating their businesses. Mullah Hafizullah Hafiz, an official of the Information and Culture Department, said the local administration always supported businesswomen. He added a string of exhibitions had been launched for the improvement and marketing of women’s handicrafts in this province.
Efforts were being made to facilitate handicraft exports to different countries in coordination with the women’s chamber of commerce.