Afghan woman revives carpet weaving, creates jobs for women
From one sewing machine to a thriving workshop, initiative offers livelihoods and preserves cultural heritage amid economic hardship
KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV) — In northern Afghanistan, a grassroots initiative is reviving the centuries-old art of carpet weaving while providing employment to dozens of women facing deep economic uncertainty.
According to Pajhwok Afghan News, entrepreneur Zarmina Khairi transformed a single sewing machine into a workshop that now employs 50 women in Jawzjan province.
The center, known as “Turk Jawzjan,” combines tailoring with traditional carpet weaving, aiming to both generate income and preserve a craft that has long defined the region’s identity.
Khairi, who has worked as a tailor for a decade, said her enterprise began with modest means. “I started with just one sewing machine, scissors, and yarn costing about 20,000 afghanis ($290). Today, my capital has grown to 700,000 afghanis ($1015), and I have created jobs for women who had no opportunities before,” she said. Roughly 30 women now work in carpet weaving and 20 in tailoring.
Employees are paid either per carpet woven or through monthly tailoring wages, allowing them to support families that often depend on a single income.
For many, the workshop has become a lifeline. “Before coming here, I was unemployed at home, depressed and struggling. Now I have work and my financial situation has improved,” said Shakera, a 25-year-old carpet weaver.
Others describe the space as both educational and empowering. Tahmina, a tailoring apprentice, said she has gained new skills while helping sustain her household.
Another worker, Noria, explained that her monthly salary of 5,000 afghanis enables her to provide food and clothing for her family. “I ask the authorities to allow more women to work,” she added.
Local business leaders see the initiative as part of a broader trend. Latifa Sarwarzada, head of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jawzjan, told Pajhwok that tailoring and carpet workshops are increasing across the province. She called the expansion a positive step for strengthening household economies and ensuring women remain active participants in society despite restrictions.
For Khairi, the workshop’s purpose goes beyond survival. “My goal was to create work for unemployed women and prevent Jawzjan’s carpet-weaving tradition from being forgotten,” she said.
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