As work opportunities for women in Afghanistan have become increasingly limited, some women have turned to online work to cover their living expenses and continue their professional activities. Selling products through social media, online teaching, content creation, social media management, translation and typing are among the jobs some women do from home.
Online work has created an opportunity for some women to earn an income using their skills without having to be physically present in workplaces. However, they face challenges such as high internet costs, power and internet outages, finding customers and reliable employers, and difficulties receiving their wages.
Some women say online work has not only provided them with an income, but has also allowed them to maintain their skills and remain connected to the job market. They believe that with digital skills training and more opportunities, more women could enter the online job market.
In recent years, some women have turned to social media and online platforms to find ways to continue their economic activities. Unlike traditional jobs that require people to work in offices, companies or shops, many online activities can be carried out from home.
These jobs range from selling clothes and handmade products to teaching, translation, content creation and digital services. However, working online also comes with challenges. The cost of internet and electricity, limited access to some online services and difficulties receiving payments are among the issues faced by women working in this sector.
Ayesha, a pseudonym for a young woman, sells clothes and some products for women through an online shop. She started her business with a social media page. Ayesha says: “At first, I only had a few products and did not know whether I would find customers. But gradually, people became familiar with the page and the number of orders increased. Now I earn an income this way and cover some of my expenses.”
Ayesha says managing orders, delivering products to customers and internet costs are among the main challenges she faces. According to her, trust between sellers and customers is particularly important for continuing online business.
Narges, another pseudonym, teaches English online. She says online work has allowed her to continue teaching from home. Narges says: “If there were no online classes, my work opportunities would be very limited. Now I can teach from home and communicate with students from different places.” She adds that poor internet connectivity and power outages sometimes disrupt her classes.
Narges says many women have the ability to teach online, but some have not entered the sector because they lack the necessary resources or familiarity with educational tools.
Bahar, a pseudonym, works in content creation and social media management. She prepares written and visual content for some business pages and manages their social media accounts. Bahar says: “Today, many businesses are active on social media. I prepare content for them and manage their pages. I can do this work from home.” She says finding reliable employers is one of the challenges of online work.
According to Bahar, some women do not know how to introduce their services or find customers because they lack work experience and sufficient knowledge of the online market.
Kalsoom, another pseudonym, works in online translation and typing. She translates texts and documents and also completes some typing projects from home. Kalsoom says: “I receive my work through the internet and send it to the client after completing it. I do not need to go to an office to do this work.” She says finding customers was difficult at first, but after completing several projects, she was able to find more clients. Kalsoom stresses that learning digital skills can create more employment opportunities for women.
Women working online say the internet is part of their workplace, and any disruption can directly affect their income. Ayesha needs the internet to receive orders and respond to customers. Narges needs a stable internet connection to hold online classes, while Bahar and Kalsoom use the internet to communicate with customers and send their projects. They say internet costs can account for a significant portion of the income of women with limited earnings.
Receiving Wages, Another Challenge
Receiving wages, particularly for women working with customers or employers outside Afghanistan, is another major challenge. Kalsoom says: “Sometimes completing the project is not difficult. The main problem is how to receive the payment after the work is done. If payment methods were easier, more women could enter this market.”
According to women working online, the lack of simple and accessible ways to receive income can discourage some women from continuing their work.
Despite these challenges, online work has become a way for some women to continue their professional and economic activities. They say that if training opportunities, quality internet and reliable ways to receive income are provided, more women could use their skills to earn an income.
Ayesha, Narges, Bahar and Kalsoom each work in different fields, but their shared experiences show that the online space has become a workplace and source of income for some women.
These women say they need more than financial assistance. They need training opportunities, access to the job market and the ability to use their skills. For some of them, online work is a way to maintain their skills and contribute to their household income despite the restrictions they face.
