Takhar youth employs dozens of women in carpet factory

TALOQAN (Pajhwok): A youth has founded a carpet weaving factory in northern Takhar province and has hired 40 female weavers.

The factory founder Hamid Qarluq told Pajhwok Afghan News he started the factory six months ago to strengthen the handicraft industry and generate jobs for skilled women. He added his factory was fully functional and 40 women were working in it.

He founded the factory using his own capital to employ women and asked the government and other relevant institutions to support him.

Women weaving carpets in the factory also asked the government to support industrialists in order to generate jobs and improve the industry.

A carpet weaver Habiba Haidari says: “Before this I was working in other organisations, I am happy to have found work in this factory and I ask the government to support such businesses and allow women to work.”

Shiba, another employee, said amid restrictions on women’s education and work outside home she was happy working in the carpet weaving factory.

According to Shiba, in addition to earning some income for families, women can learn professions in such factories and they can provide employment for others in the future.

She asked the government and other institutions to support such entrepreneurships.

Provincial Industry and Commerce director Abdul Rahman Ghaznavi said each woman was paid 12,000 afghanis monthly salary by an organization and the government also has programs to support women entrepreneurs.

He said apart from this factory, there are several other carpet weaving factories in the capital of this province and in some districts, employing female workers.

aw/ma