UN Report: Women Entrepreneurs are Pillars of Economic Stability in Afghanistan

Reporter: Soma Hayat

Bayan News – The United Nations Development Program has released a report stating that over the past three years, it has supported 75,000 small businesses, the majority of which are women-led.

The UN program published its report titled “Listening to the Voices of Women Entrepreneurs in Afghanistan, their Efforts and Flexibility” yesterday (April 17).

The report captures the perspectives of three thousand Afghan women under Taliban control.

According to the report, Afghan women and girls, despite facing many challenges and difficulties, have shown resilience and tackled challenges with seriousness, demonstrating that women are vital pillars of economic stability and hope in Afghanistan.

The UN report notes that gender discrimination and restrictions against women have led to over 40% of women feeling unable to advance their economic activities.

The report also states that only five percent of women surveyed said they could access loans from banks or lending institutions to support their businesses.

The Taliban interim government has issued over 50 restrictive orders against women and girls in the past three years. These orders have banned girls from education and women from working in domestic and foreign non-governmental institutions.

Despite these restrictions, the Taliban Ministry of Commerce recently reported that around five thousand small trade licenses have been issued for women in the past two years.

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