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ROME / WAM
The UAE Embassy in Italy opened the Afghan hand-woven carpets exhibition under the theme ”Empowering Afghan women for more shining future” at San Giovanni Battista dei Genovesi in central Rome.
The exhibition is being held under the Fatima bint Mohamed bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI), which offers a unique and creative approach by employing Afghan women in the handmade carpet industry.
Present on the occasion were former Italian Minister of Defence Roberta Pinotti, local officials and members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Italy.
The initiative comes with several benefits for the women who are hired, as it not only provides them with a source of income, but also grants employees and their families free health care, as well as access to education, among several other benefits.
FBMI was launched in June 2010 to empower Afghan women and provide additional forums such as education, workshops, social development, medical care, clean water, and various economic reforms. The successful result of the ongoing social programmes was only accomplished by encouraging capacity building and organisation methods involving the local communities in Afghanistan with the production of hand-woven carpets being the catapult for the success of the initiative.