The Role of Women in the Economic Development of Afghanistan

Abstract

With the assistance of donors, the Government of Afghanistan has started to enact a wide-range of policy actions aiming to provide Afghan women with equal access to resources and opportunities for participation in the country’s economy. However, the implementation of these women-centred policies remains weak and leaves women to fight alone against daily challenges due to the lack of their equal acceptance in society. The paper aims to shed light on some of the many issues that can only be addressed if peace is achieved. Overall, the paper is focused on Afghan women employability and entrepreneurship opportunities for engagement in economic development. Authors argue that in the context of Afghanistan, women’s economic empowerment requires better policymaking, which can in turn improve the level of policy implementation in different parts of the country. The paper highlights the need for rethinking government economic policies with an emphasis on the essential components of women’s economic empowerment such as security and innovative opportunities for women’s participation in national and local economic development.