In the province of Jawzjan, numerous women, constrained by Taliban restrictions, are now striving to address their economic and psychological challenges by establishing a tailoring workshop. They claim to have embarked on this endeavor with empty hands. According to them, many women and girls in this province, prohibited from continuing education and employment, have turned to carpet weaving, beadwork, and tailoring.
With the fall of the previous government, the Taliban issued more than 80 decrees against women, depriving them of all aspects of public life and their basic rights. After enduring two years and several months of confinement and economic hardship, the women and girls of Jawzjan are now resorting to resourcefulness for survival.
Some women in the province, who are the breadwinners of large families, state that, despite putting in efforts with empty hands to alleviate their economic and psychological problems, they lack the funds to kickstart small-scale business activities.
These women assert that they have been deprived of the right to education and employment due to Taliban restrictions and are now striving to create opportunities for themselves by establishing collective ventures in confined spaces. However, empty pockets and economic difficulties are hindering their efforts.
Arzu Haidari, a graduate in law and political science, worked alongside men during the previous government but has been dismissed from employment by the Taliban. Despite all the restrictions imposed by the Taliban, she has not succumbed to the coercion of the times and the injustice of this group. She aims to provide a platform for herself and other women in the province by creating a tailoring workshop. Mrs. Haidari states, “Our economic situation is very dire. We want conducive work opportunities to provide for our families. Local Taliban officials do not pay attention to our problems. We are compelled to create job opportunities for ourselves by establishing a tailoring workshop.”
This woman is appealing to aid organizations to collaborate with women and girls who intend to create a suitable work environment through small investments. She requires assistance in acquiring the necessary tools and equipment for establishing a tailoring workshop. Mrs. Haidari adds that to create a workshop capable of providing job opportunities for 15 individuals, she needs 100,000 Afghanis. However, after two months of fundraising efforts, she has not yet been able to secure this funding.
One of the women working alongside Mrs. Haidari explains that due to security and economic challenges, she was compelled to relocate from another province to Jawzjan. However, the lack of employment opportunities has made it difficult for her to sustain her livelihood.
Under the pseudonym Shakiba, she discloses that she worked as a teacher in a girls’ school during the previous government, while her husband served as a former member of the security forces. They were compelled to move after the Taliban assumed control. Shakiba, who has five children, faces challenges in affording a better educational environment due to economic difficulties. She also articulates experiencing psychological and emotional hardships.
This former teacher underscores that she is addressing her mental health issues by engaging in a tailoring workshop. Through this endeavor, she aims not only to overcome psychological challenges but also to surmount economic hurdles.
Khadija, another woman, lost her husband in the conflict between the Taliban and the former security forces. She reveals having four children and, to sustain them, resorts to collecting bread through the mosque. Skilled in tailoring, she sold a sewing machine for 800 Afghanis after her husband’s death to purchase clothes for her children. Khadija expresses that establishing a tailoring workshop could provide a means of livelihood, rescuing her family from severe economic circumstances.
Facing economic hardships and psychological challenges, these women in Jawzjan are turning to establishing sewing workshops. However, specific statistics on the number of women who have lost their jobs in Jawzjan are not yet available.
The Gallup Research Institute’s survey reveals that women in Afghanistan encounter extensive challenges, with their freedoms being restricted. The survey indicates a bleak future for Afghan women due to workplace limitations, restrictions on education beyond the sixth grade, and constraints on the right to education.
Gallup’s findings show that only 11% of survey participants are satisfied with their lives in Afghanistan, and an additional 17% have reported receiving respectful treatment. However, they confirm experiencing restrictions imposed by the Taliban in their daily lives.
