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When Kamila Sidiqi was a teenager during Taliban rule in Afghanistan, she was not permitted to work, attend school or leave her house without a male chaperone. Today, she holds the powerful position of deputy chief of staff to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
Sidiqi began a dressmaking business in her home that eventually employed more than a dozen women. Later, she founded a dried fruit business and a taxi company. Author Gayle Lemmon documented her story in the best-selling book
The Dressmaker of Khair Khana.
Sidiqi’s story stands out in a country where women still face many challenges. Early marriage and domestic violence persist and the justice system does not provide adequate protection for women,
according
to a UN report. The literacy rate of young women is 33 percent, according to World Bank
data
from 2011. And this month, a 27-year-old woman was brutally murdered by a mob after a preacher falsely accused her of burning an Islamic holy book.
At the same time, there is more opportunity for female entrepreneurs than ever, Sidiqi said. “If someone wants to establish a business, it’s very easy to go and register a company and do a business,” she said.
Education is crucial to improving conditions for women and helped drive her to success, she said.
“Today, I am working in the office of the president. That’s all because of my father and my mother… they always focus for the education of their children. In this case, it’s not only important in my family. It’s important in my country,” she said.
President Ghani made his first formal visit to the White House this month, underscoring a closer relationship between Afghanistan and the U.S.
Warm up questions
- Where is Afghanistan?
- What are the steps people take to create a business?
Critical thinking questions
- Sidiqi stayed in Afghanistan to build her business and receive an education in spite of the difficulties she faced. Why do you think she made this choice? How has life for women in Afghanistan changed during her life?
- What were some of the challenges Sidiqi faced as a female entrepreneur under Taliban rule? Why do you think she decided to take the risk of forming her business?
- Why is education important to improving conditions for everyone?
