Empowering women entrepreneurs in Herat

20 Apr 2015

Empowering women entrepreneurs in Herat

HERAT - Supporting women’s economic empowerment, the UN unveiled a new training programme for women and girls in Afghanistan’s western province of Herat.

The six-month programme, conducted by the Afghan Department of Women’s Affairs in coordination with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was designed in line with Afghanistan’s National Action Plan for Women, an Afghan-driven programme designed to support the advancement of women as a crucial factor in the country’s development.

One of UNDP’s previous trainees, Sitara Karimi, started a small business in handicrafts and jewellery, and is now generating income to help support her family. “We learned useful skills in designing attractive jewellery and running a business,” said Ms. Karimi.

Upon completion of the programme, all participants are provided with toolkits and materials to enable them to get started with their own small businesses.

In recent years, women in Herat have made progress in various entrepreneurship activities, including importing and exporting handcrafts, and processing and selling dried fruit. But finding a space in national and international markets remains a significant challenge. To support their marketing efforts, UNDP has sponsored the participation of Herat businesswomen in exhibits organized in Kabul and abroad. 

More than 200 women have received the economic empowerment training in Herat since 2011.