Afghan women entrepreneurs say just need investors

By Emma Graham-Harrison

KABUL, May 20 (Reuters) - Sixty Afghan women entrepreneurs, touting ventures ranging from financial services to potato chips and school uniform, on Wednesday launched their hunt for start-up funding to shake up the male-dominated economy.

In a country where many women still do not show their face beyond the confines of their own homes, the businesswomen gathered at Kabul's Intercontinental hotel for an investor fair and graduation ceremony knew they were up against tough odds.

"The most serious of our problems is being young, and women," said 23 year-old Roqia Sajadi, who is seeking $15,000 to launch her Afghan Vision financial services company.

But they have done their market research, are sure they have found a niche and have lined up two possible clients already.

"Afghanistan can't believe in us, and can't accept us as young businesswomen ... but if we have someone to support us, of course we can succeed," Sajadi said.

Like the entrepreneurs around her, Sajadi is a graduate of a women's business training programme run by the American University of Afghanistan, which teaches everything from leadership and management to the details of keeping good books.

Many of the products they hope to sell are badly needed in a country that is heavily dependent on imports because the economy has been battered by 30 years of war and violence.

"All these things around us are made in other countries, we have not been able to be self-sufficient," Gholam Hassanzadah, chief executive officer of Siemens Afghanistan, told the women at a graduation ceremony before the fair.