Japan & UN Empower Afghan Women Amid Taliban Rule

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the United Nations Development Programme have launched a two-year programme to empower Afghan women in the face of escalating limitations under Taliban control. The Japanese government has committed up to $10 million to this programme, which aims to boost the economic activities of Afghan women entrepreneurs and small companies.

Despite the Taliban's stringent limits on women's rights since their comeback in 2021, the project aims to have a beneficial influence. It will provide crucial training and equipment to 1,400 Afghan women entrepreneurs and 140 women-led small companies across seven regions.

The head of JICA's Afghanistan Office, Amada Kiyoshi, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, underlining its significance in giving psychological assistance to women confronting everyday problems. He emphasized his determination to never forget Afghan women.

The project's goals include teaching marketing, accounting, and other vital business skills, as well as supplying equipment such as sewing machines and culinary utensils. This project is expected to create 2,800 jobs, providing a glimmer of hope for Afghan women in the face of increasing limitations on work and education under the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law.

This partnership between JICA and the UN represents a worldwide commitment to supporting Afghan women's rights and economic independence, therefore advancing gender equality in the area.