Balkh: Women’s economic empowerment program kicks off

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): The first phase of a five-year women’s economic empowerment program covering four districts was launched in northern Balkh province on Thursday, officials said.

Local officials and representatives of the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) attended the program launching ceremony in Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital.

MRRD’s urban women economic development executive director Rahmatullah Quraishi told Pajhwok Afghan New at the event that the five-year women’s economic empowerment program was formally kicked off in the province.

He said the program was aimed at improving urban women’s economic situation. The program would cover 76 districts throughout the country, including four districts in Balkh province.

He said Nahari Shahi, Balkh, Charkint and Dihdadi districts of the province would be covered with the program.

He further said 440 million afghanis would be provided to the urban women councils for development of their economic situation. Women would get support for their handcrafts and finding market for their products, he said.

Meanwhile, Balkh women’s affairs department head Shahla Hadid told Pajhwok that the program was important and its implementation would positively impact the women’s economic situation.

She said, “If women’s economic situation take a positive turn, then their families situation would get better and violence against the gender would also reduce.”

pk/ma

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