Afghan Women Win 10,000 Business Licenses Under Taliban, as Jobs Stay Below 7%

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21

More than 10,000 Afghan women now hold business licenses in Afghanistan—a tenfold rise in five years—even as the Taliban maintain some of the world’s harshest limits on women and girls.
The Taliban have tolerated women-owned businesses to help avert economic collapse and deeper isolation, but only under restrictive rules that bar women from many professions and from dealing directly with male clients, suppliers or bankers.
An estimated 120,000 more women work without licenses, and small businesses have become the biggest source of female employment, according to the World Bank.
That growth masks a far narrower reality: less than 7% of Afghan women were employed as of 2024, and many who once aimed for careers such as law, engineering or academia have shifted into trades like carpet weaving and cosmetics.
Pressure on working women is still rising—June arrests and harassment by morality police prompted a rare public protest, underscoring how fragile even this limited economic space remains.

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The Rise and Struggle of Women-Led Businesses in Afghanistan: Economic Lifelines Amid Taliban Restrictions

Overview

Since the Taliban's takeover in 2021, Afghan women have faced severe restrictions on their rights and ability to work, forcing many to seek new ways to survive. With traditional jobs in government, non-profits, and education closed off, a growing number of women have turned to entrepreneurship out of necessity. These women-led businesses often reflect the limited opportunities now available, such as tailoring or home-based work. Despite facing major challenges like movement restrictions and economic hardship, Afghan women show resilience by adapting their businesses and relying on informal networks, making entrepreneurship a vital lifeline in a difficult environment.

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