The Women Entrepreneurs Association – Leading for Economic Development (LEAD) has been active since 1392 (2013) with the purpose of coordinating women’s economic and commercial activities and advocating for the challenges faced by businesswomen in Afghanistan.
LEAD pursued the following goals and strategies to improve the status of women entrepreneurs
Policy:
1. Ensuring the inclusion of women’s perspectives in economic and commercial policies, laws, and regulations.
2. Lobbying with policymakers to improve women’s position in the economic sector.
Capacity Building:
1.Advocating for the provision of quality training opportunities for women in trade and economic sectors.
Information and Awareness
Raising awareness among women entrepreneurs regarding laws, regulations, commercial rights, and existing procedures.
2.Establishing an information system to provide reliable and up-to-date economic information related to women.
Within a short period, LEAD achieved tangible and remarkable results and played a significant role in strengthening coordination among women’s economic and commercial activities. Based on this progress, the need to transform LEAD into a Chamber was recognized as an important step toward further growth and coordination of businesswomen.
Accordingly, LEAD initiated advocacy efforts with relevant governmental and non-governmental institutions to change its status to a Chamber. This process included submitting a formal proposal to the Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which was subsequently referred to the Secretariat of the High Economic Council. After presenting the proposal to the High Economic Council, LEAD successfully obtained approval for its transformation into the Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry during the 41st session of the High Economic Council held on 22/12/1395 (March 12, 2017).
After two years of successful operation, the Afghanistan Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry obtained permanent approval during the 26th session of the High Economic Council held on 28 Dalwa 1397 (February 17, 2019). This approval was formalized through Decree No. 2874 dated 25/12/1397 (March 16, 2019) issued by H.E. the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.