Special women’s exhibition opens in Kabul amid women’s restrictions

Tabasum Nasiry

The “Khadijah al-Kubra” inaugural national and international exhibition for women, designed to empower and build a trade network for entrepreneurial women, has encountered obstacles and low attendance due to economic hardships and challenges.

Maryam Mohammadi, one of the participants in this exhibition, speaking with Khaama Press, mentioned that women from various provinces of the country, including Helmand, Nimruz, Herat, and Nangarhar, have come together to showcase their products at this exhibition.

They have displayed various products, including handicrafts, clothing, food items, and other goods.

According to Maryam Mohammadi, the presence of people at this exhibition has been scarce in the past two days because only women are allowed to attend.
Ms. Mohammadi adds that all the booths at this exhibition have had no sales so far, and due to the limited presence of visitors, some of the participants are considering closing their booths.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Taliban administration announced on Wednesday that the Khadijah Al-Kubra Exhibition will be held in Kabul from the 14th of November to the 20th of November in collaboration with the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

The ministry emphasized that the Khadijah Al-Kubra Exhibition is being held to support children and mothers at the central exhibition grounds of Afghanistan in the Chaman Huzori district of Kabul. Reports indicate that at least 850 entrepreneurial women have been allocated booths at this exhibition, where various products made by women from all provinces are displayed.

Humaira, one of the visitors to this exhibition, expressed her appreciation for such exhibitions, especially for women, and emphasized that women should be able to actively participate in all sectors of society, especially in economic activities.

She adds that while women have showcased their products in various corners of the country, their presence has been limited due to restrictions imposed by the Taliban administration and economic difficulties.

She further emphasizes, “I have seen as a visitor to this exhibition that very few women have made purchases, and they only bought essential items.”

Humaira considers the role of women in the country’s economy to be crucial and calls on responsible institutions to create opportunities for women in trade and advancement.

This comes as the World Bank had previously reported a reduction in the role of women in trade in Afghanistan, emphasizing that Afghanistan is among eleven countries in the world where women’s trade and business activities have decreased.
The bank cited changes in systems and restrictions on women’s work and education, which have hurt their economic and psychological aspects, as the reasons for the decline in women’s activities.