Draft:Fatima Akbari
| Fatima Akbari | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Fatima Akbari |
| Personal Details | |
| Birth Place | Afghanistan |
Fatima Akbari is an entrepreneur from Afghanistan and a women's rights defender. She is the founder of the Golistan Sedayat company and the Non-Governmental Council of Women's Affairs. In 2011, she received the 10,000 Women Entrepreneur Award[1].
Career
After her husband's death in 1999[2], Fatima Akbari turned to carpentry out of necessity as a means to support her children. She worked in a basement in Iran, where her family had fled after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. In 2003, she returned to her homeland and started furniture production by establishing the Golistan Sedayat company in Kabul at a carpentry school[3]. She attempted to create a workforce base to generate income for women whose husbands were killed or disabled during the occupation of Afghanistan[4]. In 2009, she enrolled in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women sponsorship program at the American University of Afghanistan. The goal of this program was to train women from developing countries in business and management. In areas under Taliban control, through negotiation with local leaders and reminding them that "It is good for the Taliban to participate in national affairs and see that no problem arises from women leaving the house," she was able to expand her actions and hold literacy classes for women.[5]
In 2004, Fatima Akbari founded the non-governmental organization Afghan Women's Affairs Council to train women in handicrafts and also teach human rights to both genders. It is estimated that since 2011, she has trained 5,610 people in Afghanistan through her NGO and business[6].
10,000 Women Entrepreneur Award
On 12 April 2011, she was honored to receive the 10,000 Women Entrepreneur Award at the Global Leadership Awards ceremony. When presenting the award, Vital Voices (Vital Voices Organization) praised her as follows:
"For her work to empower other Afghan women—through educating and employing them in her carpentry company—and through literacy and skills training provided through her non-governmental organization in areas under Taliban control for this purpose."
International Activities
On 30 and 31 March 2011, Akbari was a participating member of a two-day conference held in Dallas by former President of the United States George W. Bush and President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai. This conference was named Building the Future of Afghanistan: Promoting Women's Freedom and Developing Their Economic Opportunities[7].