After finishing a six-month handicraft training programme arranged by the “Shafaq” Institute in Kabul, at least eighty women who had been denied opportunities for employment and education have graduated, according to Khaama Press.
On Wednesday, representatives from several Afghani government agencies attended the graduation ceremony for these women.
The founder of this centre, Yalda Shafaq Azimi, said she wants to use vocational training to empower women. She highlights that over 300 women and girls attend their programmes to learn about a variety of occupations, reported Khaama Press.
Once again, the Taliban regime has placed severe limits on women’s rights in Afghanistan, including a prohibition on employment and education.
Many have been compelled by these limitations to look for jobs that may be done from home and take up crafts like needlework and tailoring for livelihood. In mid-2023, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report stating that eighty per cent of women have lost their sources of income.
According to the survey, 69 per cent of women experience emotions of shame, loneliness, and sadness. After completing their training at the “Shafaq” workshop, women and girls gained knowledge in weaving, graphics, tailoring, and embroidery, Khaama Press reported.
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has received strong criticism from across the world for the “gender apartheid” in the country.
Afghan women have faced numerous challenges since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Girls and women in the war-torn country have no access to education, employment and public spaces.
Since the Taliban took over, in the last two years, they have issued over fifty decrees targeting women. The diktats to women have drawn concern from human rights organizations.
According to Khaama Press, these decrees have impacted marginalised women from Afghan society as they were forced into accepting and adapting to such stringent policies. (ANI)
