Afghan popstar opens clothing store offering opportunities for local women

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Famous Afghan popstar, businesswoman and fashion designer Aryana Sayeed opened a clothing store in Kabul in a move which she hopes will inspire women nationwide. Footage filmed on Sunday at Sayeed’s store ‘Aryana,’ alongside interviews with employees and customers, emphasise her status as a role model for Afghan women.

Sayeed is promoting and fostering the financial empowerment of women in Afghanistan, sending a message of rejection to the old ways and in the face of the resurgent Taliban.

“I believe that we had war in Afghanistan for the past 40 years, you now, should we stop living. Should we stop breathing or should we stop working. It doesn’t work like that. We have to fight extremism and darkness with progress. And I believe that this, what I am doing here is progress, and I want to be a role model, an idol, for other human beings, for other women, especially in Afghanistan. They should never give up despite the situation, and they should fight with brightness and with progress,” stated Sayeed.

In the midst of a worsening security situation in the country, and an advance of Taliban forces, the prospects for Afghan businesswomen seem dim, as fear of a return to more difficult days is present for many. However, Sayeed is empowering local women to fight this fear.

SOT, Aryana Sayeed, Popstar and designer: “Yes, Aryana brand is a fashion brand or a clothing brand under my own name. For many many years my style, my clothes have been loved and followed by many many Afghan women all around the world, especially in Afghanistan. And whatever I wear it automatically becomes it becomes fashion, it becomes trend in the market. So I thought, why not create my own brand and get my own clothes at the service of Afghan women around the world, especially in Afghanistan.”

SOT, Aryana Sayeed, Popstar and designer: “I believe that we had war in Afghanistan for the past 40 years, you now, should we stop living. Should we stop breathing or should we stop working. It doesn’t work like that. We have to fight extremism and darkness with progress. And I believe that this, what I am doing here is progress, and I want to be a role model, an idol, for other human beings, for other women, especially in Afghanistan. They should never give up despite the situation, and they should fight with brightness and with progress.”

SOT, Aryana Sayeed, Popstar and designer: “Of course I am scared, I am quite concerned, very worried. Because we don’t know what to expect from the Taliban this time. Obviously, none of us had a good experience with them and whatever they did 20 years ago, and this time around we are worried about what is going to happen. And obviously I am worried, I am concerned, I am scared. But I am not going to stop working, I’m not going to stop living until the situation is clear and we’ll see what happens.”

SOT, Aryana Sayeed, Popstar and designer: “My message to Afghan women, as always is for them to try and become independent, this is the time where they need to stand on their own feet. They need to study, they need to work, they need to become independent, this I always emphasise on this, because until you do not become independent and you earn for yourself, nobody else can take care of you. So, they have to thrive, they have to try, they have to have to work hard to become independent and get control of their own lives.”

SOT, Zarafshan, Aryana employee (Dari): “I am very proud to be a colleague of Aryana’s brand and to help them. As we know the situation of Afghanistan is worse, the environment for women is panic. Women are living like in prison, I am proud that I can work here and I can serve for my colleagues and our countrymen.”

SOT, Zarafshan, Aryana employee (Dari): “First of all, we pray that God will never bring back those days again, if they come, we need to be united and defeat them. We must never surrender to the Taliban, and for their demands that say Afghan women must be at home. We must be free, we must fight against them.”

SOT, Frishta, Customer (Dari): “Aryana has fought a lot, especially for Afghan women, and we are proud of her. In the current situation, if any Afghan woman wants to have achievements, that is the biggest achievement of all Afghan women. I want her to be more successful, and I hope that all the Afghan women will have achievements.”

SOT, Frishta, Customer (Dari): “Unfortunately, it is the worst experience of the Taliban regime that I have had. Also I lived in that regime, but fortunately when the Afghans got their independence and women got back to work, I think the Taliban would never see such black days, now the people became literate and women have big achievements. All of us think about a better future, so I don’t think that day will be back in Afghanistan.”
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