Extraordinary handwork, sold directly.
Seven workshops, six crafts — embroidery, woodworking, pottery, weaving, jewelry, and leatherwork. Every piece is made start to finish by the artisan who sells it.
Shop the collection
More Than a Store
Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, more than 55 decisions have restricted what women in Afghanistan are allowed to do — including, in many cases, work. For the women on this site, a small business isn't a side project. It's often the only way left to earn an income at all.
Every workshop here is run start to finish by the women who make its pieces. In a country where formal employment for women is heavily restricted, a marketplace like this one is often the difference between a workshop staying open and closing its doors. Buying a piece here puts money directly into the hands of the woman who made it — no intermediary, no name required.
55+decisions restricting women's rights in Afghanistan since August 2021
The Makers
Seven workshops, six crafts — meet the women behind each piece.
Sepidar Woodcraft
A woodcarving workshop best known for its hand-carved chess sets, with a small sideline in rugs, jewelry, and embroidered dress work sourced from neighboring family workshops.
Studio Zarafshan
A small embroidery workshop producing suzani textiles and wrapped goods, drawing on a regional needlework tradition passed through three generations of makers.
Kohsar Woodworks
A woodworking shop carving walnut and mulberry wood into bowls, boxes, and serving pieces using tools built in-house.
Anaar Ceramics
A ceramics studio throwing and glazing tableware and vases in small batches, named for the pomegranate motif that recurs across its glaze work.
You won't find photos of the women who make these pieces. Showing their faces, names, or exact locations could put them at risk under current restrictions in Afghanistan. So we don't. Each maker gets a mark instead of a portrait — a generated pattern unique to her, drawn from the same visual traditions as her craft. It's not a photo, but it's hers.
In Their Own Words
A few lines, in the words of the women who wrote them.
“With this work, I can support my children and give them a future I never had.”
“This opportunity has given me hope, dignity, and a way forward in uncertain times.”
“I never thought I would have the chance to work and be paid for what I make. This has changed my life.”
Voices of Afghan Businesswomen
Read all stories →Afghan women share what it takes to keep working, teaching, and building under severe restrictions.
Never give up
Forced to close her beauty salon of two decades, Mahmooda sold her own jewelry to start a tailoring center — and now employs hundreds of women, including girls denied an education past sixth grade.
A story of courage and action
A former head teacher who opened an underground school for over 800 students after the Taliban closed girls' schools. Arrested twice, she grew a $200 investment into an enterprise employing 750 women.
I'm not going to give up
A former government employee and aspiring writer, Samira has survived Taliban rule twice. Now she manufactures goods to fund a secret school where girls learn maths, English, and science.
From the Shop
How Ordering Works
- 01
Choose your pieces
Browse the shop and add what you want to your cart.
- 02
We confirm details
After you order, we'll email payment instructions within 24 hours.
- 03
Your maker ships it
Once payment clears, the artisan ships directly to you.
“Every order means another week my workshop stays open, and another week my daughters stay in school.”
A workshop owner, in her own words