Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), recently said that women are allowed to do business in compliance with the Islamic values. Talking to The Kabul Times, a number of businesswomen said that they want to stay and continue their business in Afghanistan. They called on IEA government to facilitate working and business opportunities for them.
According to Zabihullah Mujahid, the chamber of commerce is in contact with most of the businesswomen. He added we have no problem if it is considered to have a Mahram while going on a business travel and the place where women do business is designed in accordance with the Islamic values.
After the establishment of the IEA government and the immigration of a large number of businesswomen, these women were made to engage in distance businesses.
But there are still businesswomen who want to continue their business in the country.
Ms. Laila, one of the businesswomen told the daily, “I used to trade in Afghan women’s handicrafts.
Of course, I used to export women’s clothing and jewelry abroad, but now their work has stopped and it is hoped that working conditions for business women will resume.”
According to her, a number of strong women who worked in the business sector took an active part in financing and providing all the necessities of life for themselves and their families, especially in supporting their children’s education.
She called on the IEA government to reactivate the chamber of businesswomen so that women continue to operate in accordance with the Islamic values through the chamber.
Meanwhile, in addition to a number of women inside Afghanistan are waiting to work, some other women outside Afghanistan want to continue working online remotely.
They are in contact with women inside Afghanistan who work in handicraft sector. They said that fortunately, access to the Internet and the use of social media, especially WhatsApp and Telegram, are very useful in the management of remote economic activities, and what is needed is to manage these business programs and companies that still want to sell their products here and as well as compete well in overseas markets.
It should be mentioned that restaurant management, work in the field of handicrafts and making tailoring ornaments were among the works that a number of women had access to before and they want to have access to the same businesses today as well.
Another businesswoman says that there is hope for the resumption of her business and we should be provided working opportunities in any situation. According to her, Bibi Khadijah, the wife of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), was a trader doing business with her husband and a group of people and there were no obstacles in her work.
We call on IEA to provide us working opportunities as in other Islamic countries so that we get rid of dependency.
Now that some large commercial companies around the world do most of their work through the
online market, it seems that Afghan businesswomen will also be doing business online in the near future.
Manizha Wafiq, head of the Afghan Women’s Chamber of Commerce, told the media that the chamber is working to create an online website in the future where every woman could have her own virtual store.
Through this, every would be able to have a virtual domain, display her products, name and introduce the characteristics of her products and promote them to international markets. She added, “We are trying to
introduce this public website to the countries on international level as the United States, Europe, Australia and Canada, and others that are interested in Afghan products and we hope to open this website by March 8.”
Meanwhile, the government officials say there is no problem with women trading in Afghanistan or abroad.
According to the figures previously provided by the Afghan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment, 2,371 women were engaged in formal businesses and 5,600 in informal businesses, working in the manufacturing services of handicrafts and machinery crafts, the sale of precious stones, food and agricultural products, and livestock.
According to the chamber’s officials, the businesswomen continued to use their business to provide employment for about 75,000 people.
It is hoped that the government will consider the bill in the field of women entrepreneurship.
Amiri
Women allowed to trade in Islam
