Ghor women turn tailoring, embroidery into family lifelines — Pajhwok

FEROZKOH (Pajhwok): Mahtab, a woman who lost her husband in a landmine explosion eight years ago, has found a way to support her four children by learning tailoring and embroidery. However, a lack of stable markets and rising prices of raw materials continue to pose challenges for her and other skilled women in western Ghor province. Tailoring and khamak-dozi (traditional Afghan embroidery) are among the traditional and popular crafts in Afghanistan, particularly in Ghor province. Women, especially those from rural and low-income families, use these skills to earn an income and help meet their household expenses. In one of the unpaved streets of Ferozkoh city, the steady sound of a sewing machine can be heard coming from a house where 36-year-old Mahtab works to provide for her four children. Alongside her household responsibilities, she earns a modest but vital income by sewing clothes and doing khamak-dozi. Mahtab lost her husband eight years ago in a landmine explosion in Pasaband district of the province. Following his death, she took sole responsibility for raising their four young children. During the first few years after the incident, she struggled with severe financial difficulties. However, after attending a tailoring course organised by an institution, she learned the trade and began working from home after receiving the necessary equipment. “When my husband was killed, I…