Voices of Women in the Afghan Carpet Industry

Celebrated around the world, carpets from Afghani­stan embody the country’s rich commercial history and cultural diversity. They are also a vital source of income for many families. Women stand at the heart of this vast labour force. The World Bank reports that women represent around 90 per cent of workers in weaving and wool spinning.

However, weaving is among the least profitable activi­ties in the carpet value chain, and most other positions, including the sector’s higher waged roles, are typically occupied by men. Meanwhile, women remain largely excluded from off-loom stages of the product cycle such as cutting, finishing, grading, logistics, marketing and branding, and export.

When women are excluded from these more lucrative domains, they seldom benefit from the true economic worth of their skill, which limits their earning capacity and restricts the growth potential of the entire carpet sector.

UN Women convened a workshop in a free trade zone on the Afghanistan-Uzbekistan border, to discuss strategies to strengthen Afghan women’s access to higher-value opportunities right along the carpet value chain.