Fatema Akbari facts for kids

Fatema Akbari (Dari: فاطمه اکبری) was born in 1974. She is an Afghan entrepreneur and a strong supporter of women's rights. She founded the Gulistan Sadaqat Company and a group called the Women Affairs Council. In 2011, she received a special honor, the 10,000 Women Entrepreneurial Achievement Award.

Her Journey to Business

Fatema Akbari started working in carpentry to support her family. This was after her family moved to Iran when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. In 2003, she returned to Afghanistan. She then started her own furniture making business, the Gulistan Sadaqat Company, in Kabul. She also opened a carpentry school.

Helping Other Women

Fatema Akbari wanted to help other women earn money. She focused on training women whose families were affected by conflict in Afghanistan. In 2009, she joined the 10,000 Women program. This program, supported by Goldman Sachs, helps women from developing countries learn about business.

Working in Difficult Areas

Fatema Akbari expanded her business and started literacy classes for women. She even worked in areas controlled by the Taliban. She talked with local leaders to make this possible. She believed it was important for women to be able to work outside their homes.

Founding the Women Affairs Council

In 2004, Fatema Akbari created a non-governmental organization (NGO) called the Women Affairs Council. An NGO is a group that works to help people, not for profit. This council trained women in handicrafts. It also taught both boys and girls about human rights. By 2011, it was estimated that she had trained over 5,600 people across Afghanistan through her business and the NGO.

Special Recognition

On April 12, 2011, Fatema Akbari received the 10,000 Women Entrepreneurial Achievement Award. This award was given at the Global Leadership Awards. The organization Vital Voices praised her for her efforts. They recognized her for helping Afghan women through her carpentry business. They also noted her work in teaching literacy and skills to women in difficult areas.

Important Meetings

Fatema Akbari was a speaker at a conference in Dallas, Texas. This event took place on March 30-31, 2011. Former United States President George W. Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai hosted the conference. It was called Building Afghanistan’s Future: Promoting Women’s Freedom and Advancing Their Economic Opportunity.

See also

In Spanish: Fatema Akbari para niños

• List of Hazara people
• 10,000 Women
• Vital Voices