Once a cornerstone of local industry and a rare source of income for women in Ghor province, traditional carpet weaving is now in decline. Artisans and community members say the craft — long practiced in small workshops and home-based looms — is collapsing under the weight of economic neglect, limited markets and lack of institutional support.
Farahnaz, a veteran weaver in a remote village, sits hunched over a wooden loom in a modest workshop.
For years, she and other women have sustained their families through carpet weaving, a labor-intensive skill passed down through generations. But today, she says, the work barely pays.
“This carpet belongs to a trader. He dropped it off and asked us to weave it,” she said in an interview. “But we get nothing. The last time, we were paid 1,500 afghanis [about $20] for a carpet made by three people. That same trader just called asking for another one, but I’m going to tell him it’s not worth it. We can’t keep going.”
Carpet weaving has traditionally been one of the few viable sources of income for women in rural Afghanistan. But according to local sources, demand has fallen sharply, and prices have not kept up with inflation or the cost of living.
Others working in household-based weaving cooperatives shared similar frustrations. Without access to reliable buyers, export channels, or even basic logistical support, many say the return on their labor is vanishingly small.
Sitara, another weaver in Ghor, says her earnings have shrunk dramatically over the years. “Now I’m getting older. My eyesight is weaker. We used to do better, but not anymore,” she said.
Experts say the situation highlights broader concerns about women’s economic exclusion under Taliban rule. While the carpet industry once offered a rare path to financial independence in Afghanistan’s rural provinces, it has suffered not only from market disruptions, but also from the Taliban’s broad restrictions on women’s participation in public and economic life.
“With little to no institutional backing, and as broader sanctions and restrictions take their toll, women are increasingly being pushed out of even traditional economic spaces,” said one Kabul-based economist who asked not to be named for security reasons. “Industries like carpet weaving are more than just livelihoods — they’re lifelines. And we’re watching them vanish.”
As the industry contracts, many women are left with few alternatives — and little hope that conditions will improve soon. For weavers like Farahnaz, the work continues for now, but with diminishing returns and rising uncertainty.
“It’s not just about money,” she said. “It’s about having something of your own. And now, even that is slipping away.”
