Against the odds, Afghan women are building livelihoods and resilience

Kabul, Afghanistan — Even in the face of relentless obstacles, Afghan women continue to find opportunities to lead, build and hope, with UN Women standing by them and investing in their potential.

One powerful example is the story of a woman in the eastern province of Parwan who was studying economics at a university when the doors to higher education closed for women and girls in Afghanistan. To protect her identity, her name is not used in this article.

Faced with limited options to earn an income, the woman turned to knitting, a skill she had developed as a hobby.

“I was inspired by a talented woman who ran a similar business,” she says. “I started learning from her and gradually developed my own style.”

Over the next four years, the woman persevered, knitting bags, purses and jewelry and trying to find ways to connect with buyers, but her income — around 4,000–5,000 Afghanis per month (about $60) — was not enough to overcome her financial difficulties.

“There is no space for us to work outside our homes,” she says. “There’s also no local market where we can display and sell our products.”

A turning point came when the woman received business and digital skills training through a local civil society organization, with support from UN Women and the Government of Japan.

“It was through a survey that I got connected to UN Women,” she says. “The trainings helped me a lot, especially in improving my business and going digital.”

Through the success of an online shop that she established with the support of the training, the woman’s work is now recognized not just in Parwan but also in neighboring provinces.

“Through this project and my online shop, I became well known,” she says. “I’m earning money, solving my financial problems, and becoming self-sufficient.”

With funding from the Government of Japan, UN Women has worked across Afghanistan over the past three years to expand women’s access to livelihoods, income and essential services. These initiatives provide business development skills, financial support, market access, and safe spaces for literacy and vocational training.

From greenhouse cultivation to poultry farming and tailoring to handicrafts, women are using these tools to make income and gain a stronger voice in making decisions in households and building resilience in communities.

More than 5,100 women entrepreneurs have been supported to launch or grow their businesses and 3,700 women have accessed services through safe spaces.

UN Women and the Government of Japan have launched a new phase of the initiative, to further promote Afghan women’s resilience, empowerment and leadership. The focus is on improving women’s livelihoods and their ability to respond to climate-related risks, from equipping farmers with climate-smart tools to increasing women’s access to finance and technology.

Recognizing that Afghan women – especially women-headed households – often carry the heaviest burden of economic hardship and climate-induced shocks, the new phase combines humanitarian assistance with opportunities for long-term growth, supporting women-only safe spaces, markets and business centres.

The new phase of the initiative, which runs from 31 March 2025 to: 31 March 2026, is called Strengthening the Resilience and Livelihoods of Afghan Women to Respond to Humanitarian, Socio-economic and Climate Shocks.