Mr. Rahmatullah is a 40-year-old farmer from Wazir village of Zheray district, Kandahar. Every year, Rahmatullah and his brother Abdul Manan, cultivate poppy on their two hectares of land to support their fifteen member family. “From years, we cultivate poppies on this land to feed our children. Other licit crops do not produce sustainable income to rely on,” says Rahmatullah.
Afghanistan’s agricultural sector produces fresh and dried fruits and nuts of the highest quality and pomegranates that are widely considered some of the best in the world. Marketing and shipping Afghanistan’s agricultural bounty abroad, however, remains a huge challenge for many Afghan farmers and traders.
Running a women-owned business in male dominant industry presents its own set of challenges. Women entrepreneurs and employers face significantly greater challenges than men in gaining access to financial services. Provisions of collateral against loan, conservative societal perception, limited access to knowledge and financial institutions are some of the salient issues that prevent women from fully participating in economy.
On August 07, 2016, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani approved a critical strategy paper on implementing a pooled procurement mechanism (PPM) for essential medicines and health products. Afghanistan’s Joint Pooled Procurement Committee (JPPC) developed the paper with technical and financial support from the USAID-funded Strengthening Pharmaceutical Systems (SPS) project.
Afghanistan’s first Anti-Harassment Law aims to protect women and girls. Approved by Afghanistan’s Lower House of Parliament in November 2016 and then by the Upper House in December, the law defines harassment in Afghan society and the penalties for harassing women and girls.
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