GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): A woman has established a tailoring workshop in southern Ghazni province, providing employment and training opportunities for dozens of girls.
Baqeri, head of the workshop, told Pajhwok Afghan News the initiative was not only aimed at earning an income but also at supporting girls and equipping them with skills to help them become self-reliant in the future.
“My aim is that girls who have been deprived of education should not remain idle; here they both work and learn a profession,” she said.
She added dozens of girls were currently working and receiving training at the workshop.
She stressed that with support from the government and aid organisations, she could expand her business and create more opportunities for women and girls.
Girls working at the workshop expressed satisfaction with the opportunity, saying they had turned to such work after education for girls above grade six was suspended.
Zulaikha, one of the trainees, said: “If we cannot go to school, at least here we can learn a skill that will benefit us in the future.”
Another girl, Noora, shared a similar view: “If this opportunity did not exist, we would be unemployed. Now our time is not wasted and we are learning something.”
Another worker, Bushra, said: “This is better than wasting time. We work here and can earn a living for our families.”
Director of Labour and Social Affairs Mawlawi Ali Mohammad Mahmood said efforts were being made to support such initiatives to increase employment opportunities, particularly for women.
Meanwhile, Director of Commerce and Industry Mawlawi Mohammad Musa Abu Mansoor said a dedicated market for women would be established this year to help them sell their products more easily.
Economic expert and university lecturer Mohammad Yousuf Rezai described such initiatives as important, saying that although access to education had been limited, learning skills could help secure a better future for girls.
He added it was a positive step for girls to acquire skills and become self-reliant in the future.
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