The US Department of State in cooperation with the Boston University will host the Alliance for Afghan Women’s Economic Resilience (AWER) Summit, on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, in Washington.

Boston University said in a statement that the summit will discuss strategies for investing in, empowering, and educating Afghan women and girls.

“The summit will consist of panel discussions focusing on various aspects of supporting Afghan women and girls, including education, employment, entrepreneurship, and holistic support systems. Participants will explore innovative partnerships and initiatives aimed at empowering Afghan women despite challenges posed by discriminatory policies,” the statement reads.

According to the statement, the event will feature speakers including Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State; Rina Amiri, US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights; and other leaders in the field.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it does not consider the summit beneficial without the "presence of Afghan women," but it noted that more should be done for the growth of women’s business.

"We need more investments so that national and international factories come here and invest and Afghan women can be useful for the future of Afghanistan,” said Salma, the head of the Women's Chamber of Commerce.

In the meantime, some businesswomen asked the government to pay attention to their challenges, especially in creating a specific bank for women in the country.

“Exhibitions should held for them abroad and social opportunities should be created for them to take their raw materials outside the borders,” Ziba Rashid, a businesswoman told TOLOnews.

"Our demand is that an economic bank should be built for business women, in which the Chamber of Industries has a share,” Floran Noorzai, another businesswomen told TOLOnews.

"Women in Afghanistan always engage in policy-making, advocating for and advancing gender equality, enhancing economic empowerment and resource accessibility, and contributing to the country's GDP growth," said Seiyar Qureshi, an economist.

Earlier, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that after the reestablishment of the Islamic Emirate in the country, over a 1,000 women received work permits in the business sector.