Case Studies: Women’s Empowerment

Case Study: Supporting Ayenda Foundation

Excel strives to enhance children’s welfare, education, shelter, safety, and artistic and athletic abilities.

Excel Consulting supported the Ayenda Foundation in its 12th Annual Gala Fundraising by showing and displaying the old traditional Afghan women’s handicrafts, which demonstrated women’s economic empowerment through handicrafts. These handicrafts provided the means for their children to go to school.

Business owner, Rabia Mariam, with her team in Mazar-e-Sharif

Case Study: Fashion as empowerment

In embattled Afghanistan, Mina, the CEO of Excel, used fashion and design to empower women economically and to keep alive the traditions of a rich culture. Encouraging a sense of fashion was a way of teaching women and families to live again, of nursing people back to work and work culture, and more importantly, making women economically empowered.

Case Study: Women in Agriculture

Today, women make up almost half of the agricultural workforce, though, in many rural areas they are still marginalized. Women’s contributions to agriculture in Afghanistan are often “meagerly rewarded.” Women have a high rate of contribution to livestock and dairy products but rarely receive payment. Most women think, working in the agriculture fields is a part of their life’s duties. Yet, women’s participation in agriculture is often considered key, not only to ensuring increased agricultural production but also for improving food and nutrition security. Women are a force for stability in their communities. They are also seen as agents of change in their households.

Case Study: AWBA Jalalabad Women’s Day Celebration

The International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 8, 2007 in Jalalabad and included 55 women. H.E. Gul Agha Sherzay, the Governor of Jalalabad, welcomed the celebration. By having this exhibition centered in Jalalabad, it encouraged more women to set up their small businesses and to find a good market for their produced products with a reasonable price.

The group was a mixture of literate and illiterate women. Both groups were interested in business. Theories were taught using pictures for both groups. Jalalabad women received certificates at the end of the fourth day. The women asked questions continuously about the business curriculum so that they could become self-sufficient and be better able to support themselves. Jalalabad women demanded more workshops and training.

Many women, teachers, students, NGOs, and a lot of men joined and celebrated the Women’s Day. AWBA and other organizations that were working in the handicraft associations brought their stalls into the exhibition of businesswomen to display their products and find a market.

The exhibition was a success. Women’s products had a very good market. The most interesting part was that purchases were made by both men and women.

Case Study: Second Exhibition of Afghan Handicrafts in, New Delhi, India

The participants included Bakht Nazir, board member of AWBA, and Hanifa, a member of AWBA. This international exhibition was launched in New Delhi in November 2006 to make a showcase for the Afghan handicrafts through the support of DAI/ALP/USAID and AWBA members.

The exhibition was very successful similar to the previous year. It is a major accomplishment by Afghan women participating in the international markets. This proved the ability of Afghan women to exhibit their products successfully in international markets.