Exhibition Celebrating World Tourism Day with Women’s Participation in Herat Province

Bayan News – A three-day handicraft exhibition titled “Dar al-Funun Herat” was held on Thursday (September 27) with extensive participation of women and girls.

Sources report that approximately 100 booths were set up at the exhibition, with 40 of them being run by women and girls who showcased their handicrafts.

Some schoolgirls also participated in the exhibition, as they turned to handicrafts after being deprived of education.

One of the participating schoolgirls mentioned that it was her first time participating in such an exhibition, expressing hope that with the reopening of schools, more opportunities for domestic production would arise.

According to this student, girls in western Afghanistan possess various arts, but they do not receive much support. Therefore, the fact that such an opportunity has been created brings great joy.

On the other hand, officials from the Taliban’s Information and Culture Directorate in Herat province stated that during Tourism Week, visits to the Ikhtiyar al-Din Fortress are free for both women and men for three days.

Na’im al-Haqqani, the head of the Taliban’s Information and Culture Directorate in Herat, also said, “In recognition of the tourism industry, we have designated a week called Tourism Week and have various programs planned throughout this week.”

This exhibition took place at a time when the Taliban has banned women from working in non-governmental organizations, making the situation difficult for women who are the sole breadwinners and heads of their households.