As employment opportunities for women continue to shrink under Taliban restrictions, some women in the central province of Bamiyan are turning to sewing and handicrafts to support themselves and their families.
Despite a limited market, little financial support and worsening economic conditions, the women say they are using traditional skills to earn an income by making clothing and handmade goods.
“For four unemployed people, this work puts food on the table,” said Sediqa, a craftswoman in Bamiyan. “In some households, two or three people work on the same piece. It can take four months to complete, and one person alone cannot finish it.”
Many of the women say they are the sole providers for their families and rely on the income they earn from their work to cover daily expenses.
“I am the head of my household,” said Zahra Ahmadi, another artisan. “The more you work, the more you earn. Business is much better in the spring, but during the winter demand declines.”
Another craftswoman, Suraya Ebrahimi, said spring brings more customers as tourists and visitors travel to Bamiyan.
“Our work improves during the spring because more people and tourists come during the holiday season,” she said.
Bamiyan has long been known for its handicrafts and tourism, but local women say economic hardship and the lack of broader employment opportunities have made home-based work increasingly important.
For many, sewing and handicrafts are no longer simply traditional crafts but a vital source of income at a time when women face sweeping restrictions on employment and public life in Afghanistan.
