Women Empowerment and Entrepreneurship
Empowering women and girls through skill development
NEI is empowering Afghan women throughout the soy value chain. In partnership with the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs, NEI has trained 40 female agronomists, who have in turn trained over 20,000 women farmers in best farming practices. NEI develops grassroots programs in impoverished areas across 6,000 villages to teach women and widows about the health benefits of soybeans and how to incorporate soy into traditional Afghan recipes. NEI identifies key influencers and hires them as soy ambassadors to educate other village women.
In 2022, NEI launched a tailoring training program for Afghan girls to address the growing economic crisis affecting 8 out of 10 families in Afghanistan following the Taliban government takeover. Afghan girls receive training in sewing, pattern-making, garment construction, and marketing. This form of economic empowerment is a socially and culturally acceptable way for girls to learn a valuable skill that can help them generate ongoing income for their families.
In 2023, due to restrictive decrees that prevent girls from accessing a formal education, NEI introduced a small-scale mushroom cultivation initiative for young girls. Mushrooms are considered an alternative to ground beef in Afghan households due to their meaty texture and earthy flavor. They are a cost-effective, nutrient- and vitamin-rich substitute for traditional cuts of meat. In addition to offering a unique income-generating opportunity, mushroom cultivation requires no traditional farmland and is well-suited for indoor environments.
Women empowerment through entrepreneurship
Our goal is to help rural village women and widows become more financially self-sufficient through the raising and selling of both eggs and chickens in their local markets. This provides income and protein for their families. To date, NEI has established 3,500 poultry coops in households.
Highlight:
Ms. Zarifa of our poultry business development program
“Before NEI came into the picture, I was raising some local breed hens from home, but the egg production was low. NEI’s poultry program and training changed all this.”
- Ms. Zarifa, Kabul province
"I am Zarifa. My father is Ghulam Rabbani. I live in Qaly Shumlzai village of Paghman district of Kabul Province. I am widowed with 2 daughters and a son. Over 200 families, including myself, are having a hard time making a living to care for our families. Women are confined to the home, but thanks to NEI, we have a way to be home and improve our livelihoods through the poultry program.
Before NEI came into the picture, I was raising some local breed hens from home, but the egg production was low. NEI’s poultry program and training changed all this. When the NEI poultry staff came to this village and explained the poultry program to us, I was so happy for this useful teaching by which I learned the best ways to raise poultry and constructed my own quality chicken coop."
