Afghanistan: Female shopkeepers in Balkh raise concerns about drop in sales
Jun 26, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], June 26 : Female shopkeepers in the Balkh province of Afghanistan have raised concerns about drop in sales in their business, according to TOLOnews.
This comes after the Balkh Department of industry and Commerce under the Taliban, said that initiatives are being taken to help female shopkeepers access markets.
These women work at the only women's market in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh. The market is named 'Khadija al Kubra' and is located in the provincial capital city.
"The products and materials which we have is particularly for the girls, and it is between 15 to 20 per cent discounted compared to other markets," said Khatira Halemi, a shopkeeper, according to TOLOnews.
"As we are on the eve of Eid al-Adha, we urge women to come here to shop because we are selling good quality products," said a journalist, Rohina, as per the Afghan news agency and urged to support the female shopkeepers in the region.
Since the Taliban regained power in August 2021 after the US exit from the country, the women in the country have been living miserable lives, with no freedom. They are not allowed to work in the fields of education with domestic and international organisations, in gyms, or in public spaces.
Taliban has rolled back a wide range of human rights of women and girls. The regime has even put a ban on girls attending high school and university, and restrictions on their movement and work.
Moreover, the landlocked country remains hit by economic and humanitarian crisis.
