FROM INVISIBILITY TO VISIBILITY: FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AFGHANISTAN by NAJLA ...

177 Pages·2015·1.4 MB·English

by  Najla Sabri

FROM INVISIBILITY TO VISIBILITY:
FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AFGHANISTAN
by
NAJLA SABRI
A THESIS
Presented to the Department of International Studies
and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
Master of Arts
June 2015
THESIS APPROVAL PAGE
Student: Najla Sabri
Title: From Invisibility to Visibility: Female Entrepreneurship in Afghanistan
This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the Master of Arts degree in the Department of International Studies by:
Anita M. Weiss Chairperson
Yvonne Braun Member
Angela Joya Member
and
Scott L. Pratt Dean of the Graduate School
Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School.
Degree awarded June 2015
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© 2015 Najla Sabri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (United States) License.

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THESIS ABSTRACT
Najla Sabri
Master of Arts
Department of International Studies
June 2015
Title: From Invisibility to Visibility: Female Entrepreneurship in Afghanistan
This study focuses on female entrepreneurship in Afghanistan as a relatively new
phenomenon in the country. It captures women entrepreneurs’ lived experiences and
investigates their motivations, the factors affecting their businesses, the challenges they
face, and their survival strategies. It also explores entrepreneurship’s impacts on
women’s lives, particularly affecting their ascribed gender roles and contributions to
social transformation. The findings of this research, based on qualitative interviews with
19 female entrepreneurs in Afghanistan, suggest that female entrepreneurship could be an
effective way of involving women in social and economic development. This thesis also
contributes to women’s empowerment and increases job opportunities for other women.
It also has the potential to address women’s previously unmet needs. I argue that in
conservative societies, entrepreneurship brings about social change by normalizing
women’s presence in the public sphere, particularly in business, and therefore it should
be supported and promoted.
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CURRICULUM VITAE
NAME OF AUTHOR: Najla Sabri
GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED:
University of Oregon, Eugene
Kabul University, Kabul, Afghanistan
DEGREES AWARDED:
Master of Arts, International Studies, 2015, University of Oregon
Bachelor of Arts, Faculty of Languages and Literature, 2003, Kabul University
AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST:
Gender and Female Entrepreneurship
Gender and International Development
Social and Economic Sustainable Development
Official Development Assistance
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Operations Analyst, The World Bank Group, The South Asia Sector Units
(SASDA), Afghanistan Country office, 2009-2013
Personal Assistant to the EU Special Representative for Afghanistan (EUSR),
Office of the European Union Special Representative for Afghanistan,
2001-2008
Visa Assistant and Interpreter, Embassy of Sweden, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2000-
2002
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GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS:

Fulbright Foreign Student Program 2013-2015, Institute of International
Education

Jean Negus Malmo International Peace Scholar for 2014-2015, P.E.O
International Peace Scholarship Fund

Thurber Award, University of Oregon 2014, Field research in Afghanistan

George and Conni Slape Fellowship Award, University of Oregon, 2014, Field
Research

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Professor Anita Weiss,
my academic advisor and my thesis committee chair, for her academic support and
mentorship during this journey. I truly appreciate her guidance and constructive feedback
in shaping this research. I thank Professor Yvonne Braun and Professor Angela Joya, my
other thesis committee members, whose valuable advice, particularly at the design stage of
this thesis, greatly contributed to conducting this research. I offer special thanks to
Professor Braun for being a great source and instrumental in helping me choose my thesis
topic. The courses I took with her on gender and development hugely enhanced my
knowledge of these topics, which are central to my thesis. I would also like to thank
Professor Derrick Hindery and Professor Jill Harrison, whose classes brought me closer to
my topic and gave me the courage to write about it. I am also thankful to all the
administrative staff of the International Studies department and all my cohort fellow
graduate students for their support and encouragement.
I am grateful for the financial support from the Thurber Award for Professional
Development and the George and Conni Slape Fellowship, graciously provided from the
International Studies Department for my research. I also acknowledge and cherish the
academic, financial, and moral support of the Fulbright Foreign Student Program, and the
Jean Negul Malmo International Peace Scholarship Fund I received to support my studies
at the University of Oregon.
This research would not have been possible without the generous contributions of
my research participants. I am extremely thankful to all the participants in my research,
particularly the women entrepreneurs who allowed me to spend long hours with them and
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learn about their personal and professional lives. I also thank all those organizations,
colleagues and friends, who helped collect information and connect with my participants. I
express my heartfelt and sincere thanks to my dear friend Mary Leighton, who was there
for me when I needed her the most, listening patiently to my analysis, and editing chapters
of my thesis.
I cannot thank enough my great parents, for whom our education was a priority
under any circumstances. I would not have made it if it were not for their support,
encouragement and prayers. I am grateful to all my siblings for being such a great source of
hope and inspiration for me. I am especially thankful to my brother Hamid Yousuf Sabri,
who drove me around to my interviews during my fieldwork. He spent hours waiting for
me to ensure my security and got me back home safely. I extend my thanks to all my
relatives, friends and colleagues for their support and encouragement. I am particularly
thankful to my employer (the World Bank) for believing in me and making it possible for
me to pursue my higher education by granting me educational leave.
Finally, I am grateful to Allah (swt) for making this journey possible for me and
showering his blessings on me. I thank Him for making my dream for higher education
come true. I thank Him for enabling me to complete this thesis successfully. And I thank
Him for bringing all these wonderful people in my life.

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DEDICATION

To the women of Afghanistan, whose courage, resilience and hard work is a source of
hope for me for a prosperous, developed, and peaceful Afghanistan.

To my wonderful parents, to whom I owe my existence, my education and my
achievements in life; whose endless love, kindness, support, and devotion made my world
beautiful and peaceful, and whose unconditional trust on me gave me the courage to pursue
my dreams in life.

To my most loving and caring siblings who always stood by me and brightened my
path with their wisdom, love and support.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
I. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1
Overview ............................................................................................................................. 1
Research Objective ......................................................................................................... 4
Methodology ................................................................................................................... 6
Research Site ..................................................................................................................... 12
Research Limitations .................................................................................................... 14
II.INTRODUCTION TO AFGHANISTAN .................................................................... 16
Country Profile.................................................................................................................. 16
Economy ....................................................................................................................... 19
Women’s Status in Afghanistan .................................................................................... 22
III.WHAT IS ENTERPRENEURSHIP? ......................................................................... 37
Definition and Characteristics of Entrepreneurship .......................................................... 38
Female Entrepreneurship .................................................................................................. 43
Motivations ................................................................................................................... 47
Women’s Empowerment .............................................................................................. 54
IV.WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN AFGHANISTAN TODAY ................................. 56
Current Economic Climate and Institutional Arrangements ............................................. 56
Afghan Women as Entrepreneurs ..................................................................................... 59
Personal Characteristics ................................................................................................ 62
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