KUNDUZ -- Initiated by a female entrepreneur, a new restaurant dedicated to serving only women in Balkh province's Mazar-e-Sharif city aims to encourage women to leave their homes to work and spend time together.
Restaurateur Rahela Yousufi, 45, who used to be a schoolteacher in Mazar-e-Sharif, said she opened the restaurant to show that women can be empowered and can provide services to local residents, particularly other women.
The restaurant, named Sabz-e-Hari, opened on October 10.
"I invested 200,000 AFN [$2,300] in the restaurant," Yousufi said. "I encourage other women and girls to find similar opportunities and take the initiative to help other women like them."
![In this photograph taken October 10, restaurateur Rahela Yousufi, 45, is seen at her newly opened all-women restaurant in Mazar-e-Sharif. [Courtesy of Mujtaba Ahmadi]](/cnmi_st/images/2022/10/20/38024-c-739_416.webp)
In this photograph taken October 10, restaurateur Rahela Yousufi, 45, is seen at her newly opened all-women restaurant in Mazar-e-Sharif. [Courtesy of Mujtaba Ahmadi]
"All employees are women in my restaurant, and they can serve a variety of local dishes such as pilaw, soup, kabab and mantoo," she said.
Yousufi said she hopes to generate a sense of enthusiasm among women and encourage them to strive to become self-sufficient so they can find the courage to get out of their homes and share their knowledge and experiences.
"Women must come out of their homes and work," she said. "Begging for money from their husbands and parents is not a good approach. They should work and become self-sufficient."
"By going out and being part of the labour force, we can prove that women have the talent and ability to be active and contribute to society like men," she said.
Yousufi said she is looking into opportunities to expand her business, for example, opening a library in the restaurant to encourage women to read books.
A safe place for women and girls
Several Mazar-e-Sharif women welcomed the opening of the restaurant and called on other entrepreneurs to create similar opportunities for women.
"I came here for the first time after a long period of being at home," said Mastora Banafsh, 27, a Mazar-e-Sharif resident who visited the restaurant on opening day.
Banafsh, who previously worked for an NGO, said that before the restaurant opened, "we didn't have an appropriate place outside the home to gather or organise an activity with our friends".
But at Sabz-e-Hari, Banafsh said she feels safe enough to remove her burqa and mingle with other women.
"This is indeed a place [other than] my home where I can feel safe and walk around without wearing my burqa."
"Opening a restaurant like this is a good initiative for involving women in society and we hope other entrepreneurs will follow suit," she added.
"I feel so happy that I have come to the restaurant today," said Bahara Ahmadi, 23, another Mazar-e-Sharif resident who is a second-year student at Balkh University.
"Women and girls can now come to the restaurant with peace of mind and just enjoy the variety of food here, ... socialise and share their experiences," she said.
Encouraging women-led initiatives
The lack of dedicated restaurants for women in Mazar-e-Sharif had discouraged women from leaving their homes for dining, said Mahboba Zamani, deputy chairperson of the Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the northern region.
"Women have always proved that they are competent and can overcome challenges," she said. "To this end, every woman, even if she owns a small business, can create a secure work environment for other women so that society can be freed from poverty."
Zamani called on other institutions to join hands and co-operate to strengthen women's businesses and support female entrepreneurs.
"We welcome women-owned initiatives aimed at solving social challenges for other women," said Imamuddin Sanayee Zada, chairperson of Balkh's Chamber of Mines and Industries.
"We urge the donor community and relief organisations to support initiatives towards strengthening women's business activities," he said, adding that the chamber is making efforts "to create opportunities for women to work and utilise their potential and become active members of society".
Ms. Yousefi you did several works by opening this restaurant: 1. Because in Afghanistan, women are always threatened by men, this restaurant is a safe place for them to eat, 2. It created working opportunities for a number of women, 3. And you, Ms. Yousefi, showed that women can work in any situation. I wish you a bright future.
Reply7 Comment
As the Afghan society is a Sunni society and its people observe and respect religious issues to a great extent, this woman has actually done an original and good job by creating this restaurant only for women and providing services in this way. The owner is a woman, the employees are women and the management is also with women. Then there is no question why they should not go? Coffee shops should be opened for women, libraries should be built for women, and sports clubs should be built.
Reply7 Comment
Gratitude to Mrs. Yusufi, a brave and innovative woman who has shown her capacity by gathering women under a roof, making it possible to exchange ideas, and establishing a library for studying and learning about the realities of their community and solving political and economic problems of the entire Afghan society, however, unfortunately, there are some people like Imamuddin Sanayee who are still trying to link women freedom fighters like Mrs. Yusufi with foreigners and encourage them for dependency rather than autonomy. I underline that Mrs. Yousufi should be aware of the hoax of such people and should not be deceived by the ten years of the previous government. She also should not change the path she has paved for women's enlightenment, unity, and solidarity; may the movement of generosity and education of Mrs. Yusufi be powerful.
Reply7 Comment
It is a praiseworthy initiative. This means that, a women's restaurant serving women by women. In addition to creating a source of income for these women's families, this restaurant will also boost the culture of dinning in restaurants because many women will be encouraged to go to this restaurant. Under the rule of the Taliban, women have turned to prisoners, and with the opening of this restaurant, they will have the opportunity to have a few joyful moments with their friends and families. I wish the number of these restaurants increases so that many women can relish them. Thanks
Reply7 Comment
Wow! What a great and inspiring news. Reading this news relieved my exhaustion at the end of the day. Long ago, I heard that when time rolls against you, struggle against the time and make yourself aligned with it. Ms. Rahela Yusufi was a teacher, but she lost her job due to the restrictions imposed by the Taliban, who are trying to isolate Afghan women in the society; however, she refused the failure and initiated fantastic and admirable work. With this work, she directly helps herself and provides work opportunities to several other women. Her courage inspires other women in Afghanistan not to accept failure and make such inventions.
Reply7 Comment
This is good news. Such activities achieved by women should be expanded throughout the country. Such initiatives should be carried out in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat, and other provinces. If we look at the women of the world, especially the Muslim countries, and the women of neighboring Iran and Pakistan, the Afghan women are far more veiled than them. When a woman in hijab leaves her home and goes to a place where there are only women, the restaurant owner is a woman, the staffs are women, and the management is also with women. Thus there is no question why they should not go. Coffee shops should be opened for women, libraries should be created for women, and sports clubs should be built for them.
Reply7 Comment
As Afghan society is a Sunni society and its people take into consideration religious issues and respect them, this woman has done an innovative and good job by creating this restaurant for women only and serving through this. The current Afghan authorities are also mostly in the same conflict regarding how they can separate men from women in every field. Therefore, for women to comfortably eat their food, make time or talk for a few moments, this is a good address and should be supported at a significant level, i.e., at the public and government levels.
Reply7 Comment