An Afghanistan Woman's Economic Plight
Channel: World Bank Group Jobs
Date: 2012-08-01

Sima Samar, chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, discusses the plight of Afghan women seeking economic empowerment.

Women constitute a very small portion of the official labor force in Afghanistan, but this is because the work they do is often unpaid and uncounted, says Samar. Paying female workers would give them independence and help create economic activity, since they must rely on male family members to purchase materials for them to craft into goods for sale.

Empowering women to contribute economically can also reduce domestic violence, Samar says. If females were able to generate income, it would contribute to the family's finances and overall health.