Twelve years ago, the future prospects for Herat resident Sadiqa Tamasuki looked bleak.

Her husband had passed away, leaving her to handle the upbringing and care of their six children on her own. Previously a full-time caretaker for her family, Mrs. Tamasuki eventually found work which brought in a small monthly salary – but it was barely enough to cover her family’s expenses.

After some time, she decided to try starting up her own business, in the hope of achieving a measure of financial stability. Now, 12 years on since the death of her husband, Mrs. Tamasuki runs her own small business, her four daughters are married and her two sons are in higher education.

Asides from her own determination and self-reliance, a key factor in her successful entrepreneurship has been the Women’s Business Centre, also known as Khadeja-tul-Kubra Business Centre, in Herat City, located in the province of the same name.

Mrs. Tamasuki’s business consists of the manufacture of small garments and carpets. Once her employees, made up of at least three female workers, finish making the products – which include turbans, shawls and ties, as well as hand-woven rugs and carpets – Mrs. Tamasuki transfers them to a store outlet she has rented at the Women’s Business Centre, where she sells them to the public.

“This market is not only a hub for women customers but it gives the businesswomen moral and courage to get into the economic activities of Herat and start their own businesses,” said the Director of the Herat office of the Department of Women’s Affairs (DoWA), Mahbooba Jamshidi.

DoWA established the Women’s Business Centre three years ago, in cooperation with the Provincial Governor’s Office, and with the financial assistance of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Herat. The overall aim of this project is to empower women economically and create business opportunities for them.

In addition to the store-fronts, the Business Centre premises also contain a females-only gym and a conference hall for the holding of gatherings related to women’s issues. Currently, 34 shops are fully functional, in the basement and ground floor of the Business Centre, and all the shopkeepers are women and girls. The shop premises are the property of the Provincial Government, with the business owners paying between 2,600 and 3,000 Afghanis in rent each month.

Some of the shop-keepers are the business owners themselves while others are employees, with around 30 young women and girls currently working as saleswomen, on an average salary of 3,000 Afghanis.

But, Mrs. Jamshidi notes that the Women’s Business Centre’s benefits go beyond providing employment for women within its walls, with the initiative contributing to broader employment generation.

Halima Anwari, a political science student, runs a leather product business at the Centre. Along with her husband, she also operates a small workshop at the Centre, where men and women are trained on producing leather products, including jackets, bags and shoes, among other items. After six months of training, the trainees are able to do paid work from their homes.

“Our major sales are in the neighbouring countries. We also have a shop in Tehran for our products,” said Mrs. Anwari, adding that “only a few people can afford to buy our products in Afghanistan.”

Mrs. Anwari’s long-term hopes include establishing a factory so that she can bring all her workers together and manufacture Afghan leather products more systematically - but her plans will depend on her financial situation.

The issue of finance is a concern for many of the entrepreneurs operating from the Women’s Business Centre. Some are seeking loans so that they can expand their businesses. Low-interest micro-credit loans are a popular topic of conversation, especially as, currently, several of the business owners are servicing loans with interest rates of 20 per cent – which they described as being too high.

“We need assistance in the provision of loans without interest,” said Mrs. Tamasuki. “We get credits from the bank, which is initially at 20 per cent but at the end, when we count it, the interest mounts to 35 and 40 per cent. We cannot afford this kind of credit.”

Other concerns among the business owners include the location of the Women’s Business Centre within the city of Herat.

“The Centre is located at an isolated place and far from the business hub of the city, which means fewer visits by customers,” said Sherin Shahabi, a saleswoman who also studies at Herat University.

In addition, how the Centre is run is another major concern. DoWA’s Mrs. Jamshidi said that her department has developed a comprehensive plan to improve its management and prove its commercial value in the city, as well as cater to the specific needs of women.

“The priorities and needs related to women’s affairs have been integrated into this development plan, which includes services in health, education and governance sectors and raising awareness on the rights of women and capacity building of women in general,” said Mrs. Jamshidi.

Recently, UNAMA’s regional office in Herat provided technical assistance to the DoWA as part of the preparation of a development plan for the Centre for 2013-2014. The UN mission also organized a meeting of donors in Herat at which the Department of Women’s Affairs presented that plan – that encounter led to several donors committing to the funding of different projects contained in the development plan.