Women Restarting
Female entrepreneurship for internally displaced women
Afghanistan is experiencing one of the most significant forced mobility crises globally. For over forty years, the country has been marked by persistent conflict, chronic insecurity, and recurring climate-related disasters. The escalation of fighting between government forces and the Taliban in 2021 accelerated a wave of internal displacement, further aggravated in subsequent years by the progressive deterioration of economic and social conditions.
In 2025, according to the most recent data published by UNHCR (June 2025), the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Afghanistan is estimated at approximately 3.2 million. This figure is compounded by a growing number of returnees — Afghans forced or strongly pressured to return from neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan, following the tightening of migration policies and the deterioration of regional relations. These mass returns are placing additional strain on already fragile communities, essential services, and informal labor markets.
The impact on women and girls
Because of the economic crisis, cultural taboos, and the restrictions imposed by the Taliban authorities, Afghan women face extreme difficulties in accessing even basic services, including healthcare and humanitarian assistance. For internally displaced and returning women and girls living in conditions of vulnerability, access to any form of support often becomes almost impossible.
Without a stable source of income, safe housing, and, in many cases, identity documents, the survival of many women depends on informal solidarity from relatives or strangers, exposing them to serious risks of exploitation, exclusion, and violence.
The Women Restarting project: from emergency to enterprise
In response to this complex and protracted emergency, NOVE, in partnership with the Afghan association Harakat, launched the Women Restarting project to promote the socio-economic independence of internally displaced and returning women and girls in the cities of Kabul and Jalalabad. Within the project, beneficiaries are almost evenly divided between internally displaced women (IDPs) and women returning from abroad (returnees), both groups sharing conditions of high vulnerability.
The project expanded employment opportunities for 50 women and supported the creation or relaunch of 30 women-led micro-enterprises by offering a structured pathway of entrepreneurial, financial, and marketing training aimed at starting or strengthening sustainable economic activities.
The three-month training courses concluded with the presentation of business plans to a specialized committee composed of representatives of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, NOVE, Harakat, and other local stakeholders.
The 30 proposals deemed the most solid and promising received technical and financial support of USD 2,100 each, combined with three months of individual coaching to help beneficiaries overcome initial challenges and consolidate their businesses.
Donor: Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund
Project duration: April 2024 – 31 January 2026