Over 1,000 female entrepreneurs get licenses in the west

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): More than 1,000 female entrepreneurs have been issued business licenses in the western zone of the country, especially in Herat province, officials said on Tuesday.

The number of female entrepreneurs has been increasing day by day, officials say.

Behnaz Saljoqi, deputy head of Afghanistan Women Chambers of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI), told Pajhwok Afghan there were only 80 to 100 businesswomen in Herat when the Islamic Emirate (IE) took over, but their number reached to one thousand in the western zone during the past two years.

“We have registered about 525 female entrepreneurs in Herat who run their own businesses”, Saljoqi said.

She said right now up to 150 businesswomen each in Ghor, Farah, Nimroz and Badghis provinces had registered their businesses officially and they had provided work opportunities to thousands other women,

AWCCI officials in the western zone talk about the increasing number of women doing businesses amid concerns about lack of financial support, sufficient training in trade and people’s lukewarm interest in using women’s handicrafts.

Saljoqi said the lack of support in various aspects for women entrepreneurs had caused many challenges for them in the western zone.

The women entrepreneurs also complain about lack of market for their products and urge the public to support them by using their handicrafts.

The female entrepreneurs say their businesses face stagnation due to financial problems and lack of support.

Salma Nabizada, one of the handicrafts producers, urged the people to buy their products in order to support their businesses.

Shafiqi Barakzai, another licensed handicrafts seller, told Pajhwok they would sell a lot of handicrafts in the past, but now their sales had plunged.

She asked the local WACCI office and the Information and Culture Department to help them in marketing and advertise their products to encourage customers towards purchasing their products.

The local WACCI office says female business activities need support and the WACCI office is committed to holding exhibitions and marketing for the products and handicrafts produced by female entrepreneurs.

Maulavi Nisar Ahmad Elyas, governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok that in order to support and encourage women entrepreneurs in Herat province,

several exhibitions of their products were held and the local administration supported domestic productions and industries.

Hamidullah Khadem, Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines (ACIM) head in Herat, said supporting domestic production was top priority of the Islamic Emirate (IE) and ACIM would always cooperate with women entrepreneurs. He said their office has no limitations in supporting male and female businessmen and both could work freely within the framework of Islamic conditions.

According to WACCI, since the Islamic Emirate’s takeover, at least 15 exhibitions showcasing women’s products have been launched in Herat province.

Recently, WACCI activated its provincial offices in four western provinces.

aw/ma

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