Women in Afghanistan find empowerment, income through home gardens
KABUL, Afghanistan (MNTV)— In northern Afghanistan’s Sar-i-Pul province, women are turning small home gardens into a lifeline. Once burdened by financial struggles and limited job opportunities, they are now growing vegetables to support their families, gaining both income and independence.
According to Pajhwok Afghan News, these gardens have provided an alternative to labor-intensive carpet weaving, a trade that left many women with meager earnings and physical strain. With support from relief organizations, they have found stability in cultivating their own land.
Marzia, 65, from Chaharbagh village, spent years weaving carpets, struggling to make ends meet. Three years ago, she transformed her life by starting a small garden with the help of an aid group. “I no longer need to borrow money,” she said. “This garden has given me both an income and peace.” She now sells chives, mint, radishes, and other vegetables at the market, playing a crucial role in supporting her seven-member family.
For 50-year-old Shireen, her garden not only provides food and income but also improves her well-being. Despite suffering from back pain, she continues to tend her crops, occasionally hiring workers for heavy tasks. Over three months of winter, she earned more than 20,000 afghanis ($280). “Unemployment leads to stress,” she said. “But now, working in my garden, I feel at ease.”
Masooma, 22, started gardening two years ago and now earns 200 afghanis ($2.80) daily, easing financial pressure on her husband, a rickshaw driver. “For families in difficult financial situations, home gardens are a great blessing,” she said.
Female entrepreneur Malika Sadat emphasized the broader impact of women earning their own income. “When women contribute financially, family problems decrease, including domestic violence,” she said, calling for more job opportunities for women.
The provincial Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Department reported that 137 women have been supported in establishing home gardens this year in Sayyad, Sancharak, and the provincial capital. Director Damla Sharifullah Mosadeq noted that similar initiatives in past years had benefited many women, promising further expansion to create more income opportunities.
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