Women’s Economic Inclusion
At the heart of our work lies the goal of empowering women entrepreneurs. We achieve this through a range of initiatives such as comprehensive training, mentorship programs, and ensuring fair access to resources. Our aim is to create equal opportunities for women to excel in their businesses and make valuable contributions to the economic growth of Afghanistan.
SME Business Development Project
Harakat, NOVE Onlus and UN Women are collaborating to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises for internally displaced women in Kabul and Nangarhar provinces in Afghanistan. The initiative aims to empower displaced women and girls by providing them with skills training and resources to establish sustainable businesses and improve their livelihoods. 20 internally displaced females will be selected to receive technical assistance and small grants to start new businesses or recover their existing ones.
ABADI Project
Building on the success of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Recovery Project implemented in 2022, Harakat continued its partnership with UNDP in 2023 by implementing the Promoting Access to Markets for Businesses project. This project targeted youth-led businesses and women-owned enterprises in Kabul, Wardak, and Parwan provinces.
Notable achievements of the project:
– 180 employees and business owners trained in business management.
– 13 female-owned businesses showcased at “The Khadija-tul-Kubra International Women Empowerment Expo & SDGs Forum.”
– 7 businesses received support in brand development and marketing.
– 12 businesses received business manuals and coaching for operational improvement.
– 5 businesses improved product packaging.
– 10 businesses received dedicated coaching for growth and sustainability.
Harakat and UNDP promoted entrepreneurship and supported women-owned businesses and youth-led enterprises through these initiatives, contributing to women’s economic empowerment and the provinces’ development.
Women’s Entrepreneurship Recovery Grant (WERG)
In 2022, Harakat and UNDP’s ABADIE program launched the Women’s Entrepreneurship Recovery Project to help women entrepreneurs recover from economic disruptions. The project provided small business grants, business development services, technical training, and gender-responsive programs to 20 Kabul-based women entrepreneurs from various sectors. The project generated 350 jobs, mostly for women, and increased the average revenue of the 20 businesses by 63 percent. Follow-up surveys found that 12 businesses grew their monthly revenue by more than 70 percent, 12 entrepreneurs launched a new product, and eight businesses increased production.