Women’s Economic Activities in the Citizens’ National Priority Program (CCNPP)

Zahra is one of the residents of district 13 of Herat city. With the support of Citizens’ Charter National Priority Program (CCNPP), she has started production of food supplies and packing of dried fruits. Not only she is on job, but she has also recruited four additional employees. They produce 800 kg Ashe Reshtah (Thick Noodles), 40 kg pickles, 20 kg jam, 50 kg cake and cookies and packs 50 kg dried fruit every month and sell them in a local market.  

It is important to state that women play an important and vital role in the economy of families and the society at large. However, there are certain impediments to the advancement of women, for an instance, lack of favorable working conditions for women and access to markets and the existing traditional customs have led them to be inactive and play their part in socio-economic development of the society. While the fact is that  woman can both do the house work, educate their children and engage in economic activities.

CCNPP is creating an environment so that women can have equal opportunities and this can be a good example of it. and men has paved the way for women to participate and develop. A 32-year-old Zahra is one of the beneficiaries of CCNPP who lives in district 13 of Herat and is the mother of three children. Zahra started her business after becoming a member of Bahar 2 CDC and Jegrail-e-Bastan GA Deputy Chairwomen. She was involved in collecting information on poor and very poor women at the CDC and GA levels. Now, she runs her business with the support from four other employees and produces 800 kg Ashe Reshtah (Thick Noodles), 40 kg pickles, 20 kg jam, 50 kg cake and cookies and packs 50 kg dried fruit every month and sells them to the local market. In this business, she exhibited her products in an event called “Women Production Exhibit”.  Each of her employee has an income of AFN 4000 per month and she earns AFN 5000 every month.

Zahra said, "In CCNPP, I was able to get my personal intellectual and economic independence and to some extent, I experienced management role in the family and community. Using this experience, I would like to improve my and my family’s economy and I try to create job opportunities for the women of the community.

Besides improving the delivery of core infrastructure and social services through strengthened Community Development Councils (CDCs) for balanced and sustainable local development, CCNPP aims to ensure safety, reduce violence, address poverty in communities and to build up capacity of CDCs develop communications.

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