An Afghan female business owner said that operations at her factory and other projects have halted as market demand has lowered following the recent po-litical changes that are affecting the economy of Afghanistan.
Karima Rahimyar, an entrepreneur, said she invested in a sewing factory and mushroom-growing. But as the former government collapsed, she said that her business has shut down. At least 30 female staff worked in the sewing factory, but all of them are jobless now.
“The fall of the government took eve-rything from me. I lost my job. I was head of an organization, but I am not anymore. Our organization was work-ing to support women,” she said.
Rahimyar said that she had 20 women working in the mushroom business for her. “Due to the changes that occurred, those who were buying the mushrooms stopped their activities and I couldn’t buy mushroom seeds,” she said. Rahimyar has been working as an en-trepreneur for 11 years.
Based on the statistics of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, female entrepreneurs have invested nearly 80 million Afs in various areas. Around 2,500 companies were led by women, the chamber said.
“Women in various sectors invested 80-85 million Afs and created 70,000 to 77,000 jobs. This show their active role in the country’s economic devel-opment,” said Afsana Rahimi, head of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Previously there were organizations supporting women’s economic projects, but almost all of them have been halted now.
