KABUL: Afghan women entrepreneurs who have carved out spaces of independence for themselves and others, despite sweeping Taliban restrictions, are facing the collapse of their businesses as Western donors abruptly cut the aid they once pledged.

The rights of Afghan women have been curtailed since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021.

Barred from secondary schools and higher education, restricted in public places and not allowed to take up most of the jobs, women have been turning to private entrepreneurship to empower themselves and others.

Aid from Western countries, which have been pressuring the Taliban to uphold women’s rights, has been especially vital in sustaining these female-led initiatives.

The sudden reduction in funding, which started with massive US aid cuts since January, has already affected Afghan healthcare and essential services and is now taking a toll on the very group the West once vowed to support.

“Women’s economic activities have been severely affected by the reduction in international aid. Reduced financial support has led to fewer training and development opportunities, and in some cases international partners that previously provided resources or markets have suspended or ceased their activities,” Behnaz Saljoqi, head of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industries in Herat, told Arab News.

International humanitarian aid has played a key role in empowering women entrepreneurs by providing not only direct support but also training, networking opportunities, microfinance, access to foreign markets, and sponsorship for exhibitions.

“This support not only helped women acquire technical and managerial skills, but also gain greater confidence to participate in the labor market and society. Without this support, many women would not even consider starting a business,” Saljoqi said.

“If the situation continues or worsens, the working environment for women will become increasingly difficult … The empowerment process that began in previous years will be reversed.”

Bahar Anwari, who runs Bahar Canvas Art Gallery in Kabul, is already observing a decline in her business as her usual customers — women — are no longer placing orders.

“With the reduction of development projects, things changed in the country,” she said.

“The purchasing power of people, especially women, has become very low. Employment opportunities became scarce, and most women lost their jobs, and poverty is growing every day. We will have to shut down our workshops and sit at home doing nothing.”

For Afghan women entrepreneurs, doing business means not only helping to sustain their own households but also contributing to society and creating opportunities for others like them.

International support has played a key role in making it possible.

“Women in Afghanistan largely depend on financial support from family and international organizations. While establishing my company, I also received some funds from a development organization, without which it would have been very difficult to set up the business,” said Parisa Elhami, director of fashion brand Watan Collection.

“Being in business as a woman gave me the strength and confidence to maintain my social standing despite the limitations. Business allowed me to be independent and provide employment opportunities for other women.”

The foreign aid cuts, especially from Afghanistan’s main donor, the US — which invaded the country in 2001 and spent billions of dollars on two decades of military and development operations — have already disrupted basic services such as healthcare, education, and food distribution.

Women, whose social role US humanitarian agencies earlier promoted, face losing their place in society, together with the collapsing businesses.

“The presence of women in economic and social spheres is vital. It not only contributes to economic growth, but also contributes to social justice and the overall progress of society,” Elhami told Arab News.

“The decline in international aid, especially from the US, has forced many women-run companies to close or reduce their staff … If the economic situation and global aid levels continue at the same pace or worse, the future of women’s business will be seriously threatened. Many businesses will disappear and women’s access to economic, health and educational opportunities will be severely limited.”

MANILA: Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has won the mayoral election in his home city by a landslide, poll results showed on Tuesday, despite his detention at the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.

Duterte won another term as mayor of Davao City with more than 662,000 votes, which is about 85 percent of the total and eight times more than his closest rival. 

In ICC custody since March, Duterte is awaiting trial over the “war on drugs” campaign during his time as president in 2016-22, which the court estimates resulted in the extrajudicial killings of 30,000 Filipinos.

But even from a jail cell halfway across the world, his legacy as mayor of Davao for more than two decades before becoming president lives on, enough for his supporters to show up in masses at the polls. 

“He is the father figure for most Davaoenos (people of Davao). He is largely credited for the peace and order in the city, which is far better than anywhere else,” Davao resident and former journalist Allan Afdal Dawal told Arab News. 

“Things worked and people can walk in the busy streets without being pickpocketed or robbed. For example, Agdao was a gangland until the ’90s. Now it’s a bustling commercial district,” he said. “As for his ICC case, most people believed he would eventually be exonerated as the charges were seen as trumped up.” 

Under Philippine law, candidates facing criminal charges, including those in detention, can run for office, unless they have been convicted and have exhausted all appeals. 

Duterte, 80, first became mayor of Davao in 1988, at a time when the city was plagued by violence, insurgency and gang warfare. 

“Davao’s peace and order situation in the ’80s was unimaginable. When PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) took over, it was a miraculous 360-degree turn. He ruled with an iron fist but made Davaoenos feel safer,” Davao native Jojie told Arab News. 

Davao, the third most-populated city in the Philippines, has since topped global lists of safest and most livable cities across Asia. 

In Duterte, the people of Davao remember a leader who is approachable and relatable. 

“He’s very different from the typical politician who’s like ‘high and mighty’ or usually has a lot of bodyguards … So many of the people here felt that finally, there’s someone who is ‘one of them,’” business owner May Ann told Arab News. 

People often saw him in public spaces, including driving a taxi around the city. Interacting with Duterte, who locals call Digong, was a normal occurrence that made people “feel like they know him personally and have a close connection with him,” she added. 

“I used to volunteer at a halfway home for children with cancer, and he would always be there on Survivors’ Day. Even though I knew about the EJKs (extrajudicial killings), many of us overlooked it because of what he had done for the city.”

Duterte’s deadly anti-drugs campaign has been the subject of international investigation for years, leading to his arrest in March. He has repeatedly defended the crackdown and denied the extrajudicial killing of alleged drug suspects, although he has also openly admitted to instructing police to kill in self-defense.

He could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC. But while his legal fate remains uncertain, Duterte could still take his oath as mayor despite being behind bars. 

“If I were President Duterte, I will ask ICC to be given the chance to take an oath of office as elected mayor of Davao before an official of the Philippines’ consulate to make more official his victory. Though it could be a long shot, depends on his lawyers’ arguments,” election lawyer Romy Macalintal told Arab News. 

“In his absence, the vice mayor will act as mayor ... The elected vice mayor is his son.”