AWCCI: More women drawn to online businesses

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI) says more females are joining online businesses.

Women entrepreneurs involved in online businesses say they are largely satisfied with their work.

Following the political changes in the country in 2021, the number of businesswomen and female investors has seen a significant increase.

Growth of online businesses

Shakiba Fazli, one of the women entrepreneurs in Kabul, told Pajhwok Afghan News she had been working in the field of women’s handicrafts for the past five years.

Over the last two years, Fazli said, she had also ventured into online business, selling a variety of products.

She shares her products on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and others, through which her customers place orders.

Saadia Hafizi, another female entrepreneur, says she has been working in the handicraft sector for seven years. For about three years, she has also been involved in online business, which has gained significant success.

She added most of her products were Afghan clothing and jewellery made by women. Since starting her online business, her customer base has increased, with orders coming from abroad.

Hafizi stated she showcased her products through social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

She shared the benefits of online business, saying, “Currently, our work has become a bit easier, and our sales have risen. Now, we receive online orders from the United States, Germany, and Canada.”

She also discussed the quality of her products, saying, “We always send the same high-quality products that we showcase on our page. We never offer low-quality products, and encourage other online shops to use quality products and send them to customers.”

Hafizi argued selling low-quality products to customers would harm their businesses and people would lose trust in their work.

AWCCI

Khadija Mohammadi, executive director of AWCCI, also spoke about the growing trend of online businesses among women. “Sales in the domestic market are not high, so women are forced to turn to online businesses to sell their products outside Afghanistan as well.”

She added the Chamber had made significant efforts to encourage female entrepreneurs to engage in online businesses.

According to her, around 65 percent of female entrepreneurs in the country also run online businesses.

The women are engaged in sectors such as handicrafts, jewellery, food processing, dried fruits, and hijab designs in their online businesses. They promote their products on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, with some even conducting businesses through official websites.

Mohammadi said one of the main challenges women faced in online business was a lack of knowledge about it, but the Chamber had been working to provide arrange programmes for them.

She explained over the past two years, 11 training workshops on online business had been conducted for female entrepreneurs by the Chamber.

In the past year, she recalled, business licences had been distributed to 100 women — working both online and in person.

She said: “Indubitably, online businesses are beneficial because they currently don’t have enough sales in the domestic market, and women entrepreneurs have not reached their goals. Therefore, they must work outside the country.”

Economist Abdul Nasir Reshtia called online businesses a good opportunity for women who were not allowed to work outside their homes.

He commented: “Fortunately, online business has lately been booming in Afghanistan, where most women can earn a steady income through this channel, although many challenges and problems still exist.”

He emphasised the need to encourage women in this sector by providing them with necessary training and financial support in case of need.

He continued, “On the other hand, they still have not been able to build trust and attract customers. If they want their business to grow and be trusted by people, they need to learn digital skills to manage their businesses in a more efficient way.”

Views on online shopping

Hamira Sabir, a resident of Kabul who works at a private school, said due to her busy schedule, she had been purchasing goods online for the past two years. Because of time constraints, she cannot shop in person.

She sometimes receives good-quality items, but more often than not, the quality is not up to the mark.

Similarly, Hasina Tanveer, another Kabul resident, said she occasionally purchased necessary items online.

She viwed online shopping a convenience for busy individuals, advising such businesspeople to act honestly to win customer confidence.

Just like women; men are also jumping into online businesses. Mohammad Fahim Ulfat, a resident of Kabul and manager of Nab Mall, noted the popularity of online businesses and growing public trust in them.

Ulfat also stated he taught young people how to conduct online business and trade at an educational centre.

He emphasised the world was moving forward, urging young people to familiarise themselves with online businesses.

sa/mud