Jawzjan Woman Expands Tailoring Workshop to Employ Over 200 Women

SHIBERGHAN, Afghanistan (Afghan Verified) -- Wahida Karimi, a resident of Shiberghan City in northern Jawzjan province, started a tailoring workshop five years ago with an initial investment of $2,000 to help ease her family's financial difficulties.

Karimi, a high school graduate who learned tailoring through a six-month vocational training course, initially operated the workshop herself alongside six other women producing women's clothing. As profits grew, she expanded the business into a large production center with sections for tailoring, carpet weaving, kilim weaving, bead embroidery and decorative stitching, now employing more than 200 women.

"When I started this work, I had very little capital, but I believed that if women have skills, they can transform the economic situation of their families," Karimi said. "Today, I am happy that more than 200 women are working in my workshop."

Her working capital has increased to more than $700,000, and some products are now exported abroad with customers inside and outside Afghanistan, she said. Karimi identified the lack of dedicated markets for women entrepreneurs as a major challenge and called on authorities to address it. She established the workshop mainly to create jobs for women unable to work outside their homes and urged women across the country to become self-reliant.

Workers expressed satisfaction with the opportunities. Marhaba, in the carpet-weaving section, said the job allows her to cover expenses and help her family of eight, relieving her from unemployment and depression. "If the government creates more job opportunities for women, we can further develop our skills," she added.

Shaista, who has worked in tailoring for a year, said she is learning skills like cutting and stitching and hopes to start her own workshop. Zainab, a trainee in tailoring, described the workshop as a place to learn skills beyond just work.