Sales drop for women’s crafts in Western Afghanistan
Written By: Hakim Bigzaad
Several female traders in the province of Badghis say that although women’s interest in handicrafts has increased after the de facto administration took over, production in this sector has significantly decreased.
Women in this province have recently turned more towards handicrafts such as embroidery, weaving, pottery, and producing local clothing. However, they complain that their handcrafted items are not selling.
Safiya Sadat, one of the female traders in the women’s market of Badghis, says she has been active in producing handicrafts such as leatherwork, weaving, clothing, and both hand and machine embroidery in this province for about eight years.
About 50 girls work as employees and apprentices in Safiya’s workshop. She mentions her goal in establishing this workshop as providing job opportunities and training for girls who have dropped out of school.
On the other hand, Ms. Sadat complains about the decrease in product sales and the lack of a suitable market for selling and marketing her products, and she does not consider her income satisfactory.
Among them are also women who, due to the economic weakness of the people and the absence of a sales market, have been forced to abandon their profession and become housewives.
Humaira Barumand, another determined woman who used to produce handicrafts before the political changes in the country, has now lost her work due to limitations, economic weaknesses of families, and many other challenges, and has become a homemaker.
In an interview with Khaama Press, she said, “Because most women have become housewives and their economy has become stagnant, I also lost my duty. That is, my handicraft business closed, and I became an unemployed housewife.”
On the other hand, Atiya Tokhi, the head of the Women’s Market and the head of the Handicrafts Union of Badghis Province, describes the production and economic activities of women in this province well, but also talks about the lack of stable contracts and the decrease in product sales.
She said, “Female traders in Badghis have access to production facilities, but due to the lack of job market and the poor economic situation of the people and the inability of citizens to buy, they face many challenges.”
Despite this, women’s economic activity in Badghis Province is only in the field of handicrafts, but the existing challenges have led to a decrease in product sales and the closure of some of these women’s workshops. Nevertheless, women continue their economic activities and demand serious attention from the government and responsible institutions in the economic and handicraft sectors of this province.
