Qatar invests in empowering Afghan women to join workforce

The agreement will provide Afghan women and girls with the skills needed to build their own businesses that can later compete with global economies.

Qatar Fund for Development [QFFD] and Digital Citizen Fund [DCF] signed a grant agreement to finance a vocational training initiative aimed at equipping Afghan women and girls to join the workforce, the Doha institution announced on Tuesday.

The signing of the agreement was attended by Assistant Foreign Minister & Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MOFA] Lolwah Al Khater, Qatar’s Ambassador to Kabul Saeed Mubarak Al-Khayareen, and CEO of Digital Citizen Fund Roya Mahboob.

“This training opens the doors of hope, future and opportunities for them. I hope that the agreement signed today with Qatar Fund for Development will pave the way for a new generation of ambitious and dedicated Afghani women, who will undoubtedly play a key role in the stability and prosperity of Afghanistan,” said Al-Khater

The agreement will provide 1,200 Afghan women and girls between the age of 14-to-24 with quality training and access to technology that will enable them to be better equipped to join the workforce.

Read also: HRW urges UN to ensure women included at Afghan peace meeting

Trainees will be provided with personal and employment skills while also acquiring skills to handle financial matters and business administration. Afghan women and girls will be able to obtain expertise needed to start and grow their own businesses that can also compete in global economies.

“Our dedication to this goal does not waver in the face of difficulty, and the results speak for themselves. Our mission and implementation have continued to flex and grow despite the challenges the world faces with the pandemic,”said Mahboob.

Co-founded by Mahboob, DCF is a nonprofit organisation based in New York that provides girls and women in developing countries with education, training and support to secure jobs and help support their local economies. Some of the areas covered by the centre include digital literacy training, financial literacy, robotics and blockchain technology.

“When someone asks me why Qatar is optimistic about a bright and stable future in Afghanistan, I find myself giving examples on hardworking and dedicated Afghanis, like Roya Mahboob. Despite the war, Roya’s Digital Citizen Fund has been providing quality training in the fields of computing and programming for hundreds of girls,” said Al-Khater.

During the height of Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001, women were subjected to strict laws. The militant group forced women to fully cover and launched fierce attacks on those who attempted to go to school or join the workforce.

“Women and girls in Afghanistan are no exception as they too, face multiple barriers when trying to enter, remain, or advance in the workforce. They are left behind in a world that is making rapid technological progress,” said Khalifa Al-Kuwari, QFFD’s Director General.

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