To address the unique challenges facing youth and women in business in Afghanistan, USAID recently held a two-day workshop titled "Baseline Assessment Survey of Women and Young Entrepreneurs" for the Afghan Women’s Business Federation (AWBF). Participants included young entrepreneurs and businesswomen identified through their work with the AWBF and its member organizations.

The workshop provided an opportunity for youth and women to express their concerns related to trade facilitation and trade reform, and identify areas where trade issues affect their livelihoods. Participants  enjoyed presentations on trade and tariff policy reform, barriers to trade, and benefits of improved trade processes in Afghanistan, such as improved standards of goods to reach international markets.

The workshop raised a number of key issues to be addressed, such as exemption from income taxes, annual custom tax procedures, the identification of international markets for Afghan goods, and the need for government and international financial and technical support for young entrepreneurs. Moving forward, USAID’s Trade and Accession Facilitation (TAFA) program will use the feedback gathered from the participants to structure programs that address the needs of women and youth. TAFA will also follow its workshop participants to identify how their perceptions towards trade issues change over time, and if the trade issues affecting their livelihoods improve over time.