Women in western Afghanistan to benefit from integrated DRC support

Thousands of men and women in Western Afghanistan are about to see their lives improved and benefit from solid gains made by DRC and partners in the past one year in Western, Eastern, Central and Southern regions of the country. There, DRC supported a total of 522,098 individuals through integrated multi-sectoral area-based activities across Kabul, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Kandahar, Zabul, Nimroz, Herat, Farah, Nangahar, Kunar, and Paktika provinces. 

Building on these achievements and experiences, DRC will work to implement ‘Protection of community-based livelihoods and local economic activities in Afghanistan, targeting women-led/managed Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises’. The project is supported by UNDP through its ABADEI programme as part of efforts to help meet basic human needs and services, by revitalising local markets and helping local communities rebuild their own lives and livelihoods. 

‘With financial and technical support, we believe that women tailors will be able to supply their products to markets in other districts beyond our own,’ said a member of the Women Tailors Association in Qala-e-Naw city, Badghis Province in western Afghanistan. 

DRC will contribute to expanding opportunities for women’s participation in the local economy through the provision of technical and financial support to 20 women's business associations. The aim is to create new employment opportunities for women and enhance resilience at the grassroot level. DRC will also provide short-term employment to 800 socio-economically vulnerable individuals through a Cash for Work project as well as to 80 skilled workers. These efforts will have an immediate impact on the rehabilitation of eight community-level markets and productive facilities, owned or used by formal and informal women entrepreneurs. 

‘DRC’s solid experience in the country and commitment to respond in a principled manner is key to operating in Afghanistan. This is what enables us to address chronic and newly emerging vulnerabilities among Afghan communities, including ensuring safe access to critical livelihoods assistance for female entrepreneurs,’ says Joyce Dalgliesh, DRC Country Director in Afghanistan.  

Following a near half-century of conflict and political instability, Afghanistan has fallen into an economic recession of disastrous proportions. The situation for Afghan women and girls has been significantly impacted and continue to deteriorate since August 2021. Continued restrictions imposed on women’s participation in the private and public sectors have also exacerbated inequalities and curbed national economic potential.  

Targeted restrictions limiting women’s freedom of movement, access to services including education and livelihood have disproportionately affected them. Pre-existing barriers to launching and growing enterprises have been amplified, which have led to increased failures of early-stage firms and continues to limit their ability to exist. Already, thousands of women-led businesses have been closed due to imposed restrictions. The most recent ban imposed on operation of beauty salons across the country, mean that additionally an estimated 60,000 women in Afghanistan will lose jobs.