In a country where women are barred from most forms of employment, a small embroidery boutique run by 22-year-old Rahima Alavi in Bamiyan stands out as both rare and deeply meaningful.
A modest sign reading “Spring flowers, tailoring and embroidery” marks the entrance to Alavi’s shop, which she opened in January after months of struggling to find work.
“I feel proud because I can support my family - my parents and three sisters - and pay the rent,” she said, strands of coloured thread still clinging to her burgundy coat as she worked.
Alavi is among more than five million Afghans who have returned home since 2023 from Pakistan and Iran, where many had lived for decades before being pushed to leave.
Raised in rural Bamiyan province, she spent her childhood helping her family on the farm while attending school. In 2021, the family moved to Iran in search of better opportunities.
“In Iran, there were more job opportunities. Men and women could both work,” she said.
Near the central Iranian city of Isfahan, the family earned a living picking cabbages before returning to Afghanistan in 2024.
Back home, however, hope quickly faded.
“My father couldn’t find a job, nor could I or my sisters. I was very hopeless because there were no jobs in Bamiyan,” she said.
According to a survey by the International Organization for Migration, only one per cent of women returning from Pakistan or Iran have secured full-time employment, while just two per cent have managed to start a business.
After months of searching, Alavi was selected alongside 25 other women for embroidery training under a programme supported by the UNHCR.
“I started to have hope, and my hope grew bigger with the course,” she said.
Through the initiative, she received a sewing machine, fabric and funds for a solar panel - a crucial resource in a country frequently affected by power outages.
Her instructor, Rayhana Darabi, described her as exceptionally committed.
“She was very capable and talented. She wouldn’t miss anything and learned everything the same day,” Darabi said.
Darabi herself lost her job in December when the programme was discontinued amid wider aid cuts across Afghanistan.
So far, Alavi is the only participant from the training course to have successfully opened a business, an achievement that has brought pride to her community.
Women in Afghanistan face mounting restrictions under the Taliban authorities, who enforce a strict interpretation of Islamic law that excludes women from most professions while allowing limited work in sectors such as handicrafts.
Appealing for renewed international support, Alavi urged donors to revive similar training programmes.
“Because there is no work for women here,” she said.
With opportunities shrinking, she encourages other returnee women to seek out any path forward.
“Don’t sit at home,” she said, surrounded by embroidered dresses, scarves and tablecloths — including one adorned with purple butterflies poised for flight.
