A Review of Objectives, Activities, and Future Plans AWCCI, Organizational Document (V6) | Page 16

In March 2018, the AWCCI met with officials from
the Government’s Industrial Parks Directorate to
learn more about existing policies related to park
operations and influence future policies in favor
of Afghan businesswomen. Shortly thereafter, the
High Economic Council approved the transfer
of a Government owned industrial facility on the
outskirts of Kabul to AWCCI’s management, to
be used as an industrial park available exclusively
for women-owned businesses. The International
Labour Organisation (ILO) generously supported the
renovation of the facility, while UN Women funded
a much-needed research trip Hyderabad, India, so
that AWCCI staff and members could learn about
industrial park operations from a prominent Indian
women’s business association (ALEAP).
Set-up of ‘Female Friendly’ Business
Registration Facilities
Over the last several years, the process of registering a
business in Afghanistan has gone from being tedious
and relatively expensive to being streamlined and
nearly cost-free. With that said, many Afghan women
may find themselves apprehensive about a visit to the
Afghanistan Central Business Registry (ACBR), which
is dominated by male staff and visitors. Fortunately
for the cause of promoting Afghan women business
ownership, the ACBR was extremely receptive
to concerns about female accessibility expressed
by the AWCCI. Following an agreement with the
AWCCI to collaborate on matters related to women’s
business registrations, the ACBR set up women-only
registration counters for female entrepreneurs who
may otherwise feel uncomfortable applying for a
business license.
Future Investment Support Goals:
The AWCCI has the following plans to support Afghan
women who wish to invest their time and capital in
building a business:
• Investment guides: Preparing investment
guides covering different sectors of the Afghan
economy for the use of Afghan women
investors
• Industrial parks: Continue to rally support
among AWCCI members and partners for the
creation of industrial parks, and within them
industrial clusters, that are able to generate
economies of scale
Advocacy and Raising Awareness
Objective: Ensure that the importance and
contributions of Afghan businesswomen in the Afghan
economy are recognized and promoted, and the
perspectives of Afghan businesswomen are
considered in both Afghan Government
and international organization
policies and programs
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Advocacy and Awareness-Raising
Initiatives and Activities: Future Advocacy and Awareness-
Raising Goals:
Securing Literal ‘Seats at the Table’ for Afghan
Businesswomen While the AWCCI has been particularly effective in
terms of advocacy and awareness-raising, there is still
more work to be done. This includes:
In contemporary Afghan history, Afghan women
have had little to no influence in the economy-related
decisions of the Government, and additionally have
been nearly invisible in regional forums related to
economic connectivity. This has changed dramatically
with the growing strength of the AWCCI. The
AWCCI now represents the interests of Afghan
businesswomen in a number of Government bodies
and working groups related to business, including the
High Economic Council (HEC) and the Executive
Committee for Private Sector Development (PriSEC).
The AWCCI is also vigilant when it comes to ensuring
that Afghan businesswomen are considered in
planning sessions for international organizations (e.g.
the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industries),
are represented in the steering committees for
donor organization projects (e.g. GIZ’s Sustainable
Economic Development and Employment Promotion
project), and secure invitations to participate in
international forums on Afghanistan (e.g. the 2018
Geneva Conference on Afghanistan).
Oversight of Development Initiatives
While international development organizations have
provided significant moral and material support for
Afghan businesswomen, there have been instances
where certain women-oriented development
initiatives have been planned without taking into
consideration the views of actual Afghan women. In
these cases, the AWCCI is able to serve as a watchdog
of sorts, by gently encouraging the organizations in
question to see the error in their ways. Additionally,
the AWCCI freely offers its support to development
organizations that wish to meet with Afghan
businesswomen and solicit their views.
Bibi Khadija Awards
Every year the AWCCI organizes the Bibi Khadija
Awards, an event where Afghan businesswomen
are recognized for innovative and ambitious
entrepreneurial endeavors. The purpose of the awards
is to draw attention to the contributions of women-
owned businesses in the Afghan economy. The awards
are named for Khadija bint Khuwaylid, the first wife
of the Prophet Mohammad who is also believed to be
the first convert to Islam. At the time that she married
Mohammad (PBUH), Khadija was also one of the
most successful traders in Mecca. The fact that the
first Muslim convert was a financially independent
businesswomen should be seen as example in
Afghanistan and other Muslim societies that Islam
does not put any limitations on women engaging in
business pursuits.
• Women-friendly Government procedures:
Tax filing, government leasing, and other
bureaucratic procedures require easier
procedures for women, and the AWCCI has
submitted and will follow-up on proposals to
address the concerns of small-scale women
business owners
• Provincial awareness-raising: Organize
provincial committees in order to conduct
advocacy and awareness-raising targeting local
authorities such as governors, mayors and
provincial councils, to ensure that they are
aware of businesswomen’s existence and match
the support and attention currently provided by
the central Government
• Developing a National Women’s Business
Agenda: Develop a comprehensive agenda
outlining the short, medium and long-term
issues that require concerted advocacy, both at
the national and sub-national levels
Capacity Building for
Businesswomen and Female
Entrepreneurs
Objective: Provide training to Afghan businesswomen
and female entrepreneurs to increase their knowledge
in various subjects related to business
Capacity Building Initiatives and
Activities:
Skills & Awareness Training
From the start of 2017 to the present, the AWCCI,
conducted 86 training sessions with 1,910 participants.
The topics covered by the training were identified by
AWCCI leadership as being in demand among their
constituents. These have included (but are not limited
to) the following topics:
• Afghan Government tax regulations:
Reviewing Afghan tax law for women business
owners, in order to achieve compliancy and
avoid burdensome tax penalties
• Afghan Government public-private
partnership law: Introducing businesswomen
to the concept of public-private partnerships
(PPP), and the procedures for developing a PPP
with the Afghan Government
• English language for business: Instruction
on basic English vocabulary and grammar
commonly used in business-related
communications
• Financial accounting: Providing an overview
of the foundations of financial accounting, i.e.
tracking outgoing cash, documenting incoming
revenue, and monitoring fixed and variable
operating expenses
Business Startup and Expansion Support
Included in the above-mentioned totals for training
programs organized by the AWCCI are training
sessions and programs that are intended to help
Afghan businesswomen and entrepreneurs launch or
scale-up businesses.
• Startup program: In collaboration with other
organizations, the AWCCI has operated startup
support programs that are intended to give
aspiring female entrepreneurs the tools and
motivation to launch a new business
• Strategic planning: Organizing sessions in
which current or aspiring female entrepreneurs
are assisted in laying out short, medium, and
long-term plans for a business concept
Future Capacity Building Goals:
In the area of capacity building, the AWCCI has
developed the following future plans:
• Collaboration with EPAA: Conduct at least
one session with the Export Promotion Agency
of Afghanistan (EPAA) on export guidelines,
including INCOTERMS, letters of credit, etc.
• Export Training: Work with the ITC on
training in exports specifically geared towards
Afghan women exporters
• High-Demand Skills Training: Initiate training
programs in high-demand niche skills, like
digital marketing
• Business Guides: Prepare A-Z guides for
startups and expanding businesses
• Women’s Resource Center: Identify and outfit
an appropriate space in Kabul and other urban
hubs where women can receive information on
a range of issues, from licensing procedures to
tax compliancy.
• Afghan Government procurement laws:
Receiving instruction directly from officials at
the National Procurement Authority (NPA)
about procedures for bidding on Government
contracts
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