Behind an unassuming door in bustling Herat, Afghanistan, lies a tailor’s workshop that is anything but ordinary. It is a hub of empowerment for women and many girls who, with the ban on girls’ education, have few options for income, training and learning new skills. For them, Zahra’s business is a sanctuary brimming with hope, laughter, and dreams reborn.

Once a social worker dedicated to aiding fellow returnee refugees from Iran and others displaced by unbearable climate conditions, Zahra now stands at the helm of a thriving tailoring business. The transformation of this modest space into a bustling workshop reflects Zahra’s resilience and determination amid the turbulent tides of Afghanistan’s socio-political landscape. 

Zahra has seen a lot in her young life. Currently in her mid-twenties, she fled to Iran with her family as a child and returned to Afghanistan shortly before the 2021 transition in authority. 

With the government change and a progressively restrictive environment on women, Zahra had to reimagine her role in a society where opportunities for women are scarce. She decided to weave a new future with her passion for tailoring and her entrepreneurial spirit, as the private sector has kept doors open to women’s work.

With a grant of a few hundred dollars and business skills training from a joint initiative by UNDP and UNHCR, Zahra’s pivot into the tailoring business began to take shape. After establishing a small group of three seamstresses, she received financial support from UNHCR to start a clothing production business in 2021. In October 2022, UNDP scaled-up the support by providing her with a USD 2,000 grant aimed to expand her business through the purchase of new sewing equipment. This took her small business to a new level.

Presiding over her workshop of 25 employees during a recent UNDP monitoring and support visit, Zahra’s pride is palpable. The air is filled with the rhythmic hum of sewing machines, where women, many of whom have had their education cut short, find a new lease on life. Among them are her two sisters, who were unable to complete their schooling beyond the 10th and 8th grades, now learning from Zahra’s example and skills, and perhaps one day starting their own business careers. 

On the wall of her office is a painting of a young girl with a single tear. A gift from a friend forced to leave to continue her education, this image serves as a constant reminder of the struggles faced by Afghan women and the relentless hope that fuels Zahra’s work.

“This painting is more than a piece of art; it’s a reminder of why I started,” Zahra reflects, her voice firm yet tender. “For every tear shed, there’s a woman or girl waiting for an opportunity to be independent, to avoid an early marriage, and to become leaders in their own right.”

Despite her success, Zahra is candid about the challenges that lie ahead. The business’s growth is stymied by limited access to affordable financing. “Grants have provided a lifeline,” she acknowledges, “but accessing loans remains expensive and complicated for women. If I had the capital, the jackets we sell for 250 Afghanis could easily command 500 Afghanis, and I could hire more women.” She also notes that capital could help her export to outside markets.

Zahra aims to grow her staff to 50-60 women and plans to acquire a USD 1,000 “trade passport,” which would allow her to freely import fabric from Iran. Currently, she exports high-quality products to Iran, while her lower-quality goods are sold locally. If she were able to travel, she says, she could negotiate better prices for her products.

UNDP’s business graduation programs aim to accompany businesses like Zahra’s through early growth phases. These programs offer graduated support so businesses can access the financing, funding, and training needed at each step of the journey. Support from UNDP core resources, the European Union, and Japan can offer entrepreneurs a starting push. But to truly expand options at every stage of the business trajectory, additional funding is needed.

Zahra’s journey epitomizes the resilience of a nation where hope eludes many: according to UNDP analysis, 69 percent of Afghans are subsistence-insecure, and face a scarcity of essential amenities such as healthcare, basic goods, living conditions, and employment opportunities.

As Zahra escorts visitors out of her workshop, the smiles of her employees linger. Their story is about more than mere survival; it’s about fostering a future where Afghan women can exercise agency over their own destinies, despite the odds.