Afghanistan: Against the Odds, Afghan Women are Building Livelihoods and Resilience

Jul 18, 2025 | UN Women Asia and the Pacific
UN Women Asia and the Pacific
View Original

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.