More Female Shopkeepers in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, a shopkeeper is considered a man’s job.

And you can only find female shopkeepers in Kabul’s women’s market in Mazari Sharif.

Here there are some 70 shops selling mostly handicrafts made by women.

Opened by the local government three years ago, these shops are all owned by women.

And only women can shop here.

50-year-old Nasima Mawla Zada owns one of the shops, selling female clothes and handicrafts.

“I was a tailor before. But then I wanted to have another job with a better income, like this.”

She now earns around 400 US dollars a month.

“When a woman has a job, she can protect herself and her family members’ needs. In the past, there were lots of restrictions for women. My family didn’t allow me to become a shopkeeper at first. But with the coming of freedom, now I can work.”

Women-owned shops have made shopping experience for female customers more enjoyable.

35-year-old housewife Fahima Sultani is a regular customer here.

“I come here for shopping. When I see female shopkeepers, it feels good,” says 35-year-old housewife Fahima Sultani, a regular customer here.

“Because usually we have to deal with male shopkeepers and it’s hard if we want to buy female clothes. Female shopkeepers are helpful and we feel free too. I wish there will be a lot more female shopkeepers.”

In a conservative society like Afghanistan, trade is considered of as a man’s job, and women are not allowed to own shops.

But with the support of the government, there are more and more female shop owners and keepers in the market.

Parween Rahimi from the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission says, there will be a lot more Afghan women in different professions in the future.

“In the past years women’s awareness on their rights has increased. I think this is the main reason why women get higher position in different profession. According to our survey in a market this year, female customers have bigger confidence in shopping with female shopkeepers, and they can easily ask for help in the shop.”

But some shopkeepers want to stay inside the female-only market; like 40-year-old Zobaida Alokozay, who has been working here for two years now.

“I can’t open a shop in public market because I’m a woman. There are no facilities like what we have here. My husband’s relatives are against my job here and they’ve stopped talking to us.”

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But more and more are now willing to step outside, like 21-year-old Fawzia Karimi.

She recently opened her shop in Ameri Shopping Center in the capital.

“If women keep themselves in a separate place, they will eventually be separated. I think women should come outside to public and show what they can do. I’m the only female shopkeeper in this shopping center. I even sell men’s clothes, but I didn’t face any problems.”

She’s now studying Management in the university, hoping to expand her business in the future.