UN emphasizes support for women’s businesses in Afghanistan

Tabasum Nasiry

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has stated that, in light of the collapse of Afghanistan’s economic system, it has supported 50 women in the central regions of the country in various aspects, ranging from small and medium-sized businesses to infrastructure and healthcare services for women.

On Monday, 29th January, this organization released a report, affirming that the goal of UNDP’s development programs is to support women entrepreneurs in strengthening and enriching communities.

Friba, a college student at Bamyan University’s Law School, who couldn’t continue her education due to limitations, expressed to this organization that she wanted to support her family after completing her studies. However, due to the constraints, she has established a small dairy business in a residential complex in Bamyan.

She, who collects raw materials from villages across the region to produce dairy products, emphasized that with the “cessation of dairy product purchases, orders decreased by over 60%, and women in the districts even had to stop raising sheep and cows because there was no demand. I lost hope and considered quitting.”

Friba, expressing her satisfaction with the United Nations development programs, stated, “One of the reasons women are subjected to violence is their lack of economic independence.” According to the UNDP report, in addition to supporting women entrepreneurs, the organization has also provided them with business opportunities worth over USD 1,500.

This is happening while, after two years, women are still deprived of access to their fundamental rights, including education, work, and active participation.

The United Nations Development Program had previously announced that it has created communal kitchens to provide work opportunities and income.

According to the UNDP development program, the prohibition of women’s work has affected Afghanistan’s economy, causing a blow of 600 million to 1 billion dollars to the country’s economy.