Women with business licences more than quadrupled in 5 years: Noori — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The head of the Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the number of women holding official business licences has more than quadrupled over the past five years. Despite the expansion of women’s economic activities, she said, limited access to domestic and international markets, financial resources and certain economic sectors remains among their major challenges. Pajhwok Afghan News interviewed Fariba Noori, head of the Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, about women’s achievements, progress and challenges in trade and investment. In the interview, Noori discussed the status of women’s economic activities over the past five years, the growing number of women entering businesses, their participation in various economic sectors, the chamber’s achievements and programmes, access to domestic and international markets, and the challenges facing women entrepreneurs. Around 10,000 women hold official business licences Noori said women’s participation in trade and investment had increased significantly over the past five years, with around 10,000 women holding official business licences and operating under the Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She said these women held various licences issued by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Agriculture, trade unions and municipalities. According to Noori, in addition to officially licensed women, around 100,000 other women in villages and remote areas are engaged in traditional economic…