A group of women have opened an all-female restaurant for the first time in Mazar-e-Sharif City in Balkh province of Afghanistan

Zahra Parsa, owner of women’s restaurant in Balkh, said she will establish a library in order to encourage women to read their favorite books. Zahra Parsa, the owner of the restaurant, said she has provided employment opportunity for nine women. 
"We see that there are many restaurants for families in Mazar-e-Sharif City, but there is no a restaurant where women will feel safe; therefore, I decided to establish this restaurant with the help of my friends,” Parsa said. The women who work in the restaurant have at least 20 customers every day since they started the business 15 days ago.“Our restaurant has opened newly. The number of our customers is growing every day,”  said a staff in the restaurant. Some residents of Balk said they found the restaurant a safe place for women. “We feel as if we are as safe as at home when we visited this restaurant" ...“Women need these places in order to have food in a safe and free place where we can stay happy and enjoy dinner or lunch with our friends,” said a female resident of Balkh. Working in the community for women has its own headache. Common traditions in society and security threats are the issues that have always been the hindrance ahead of Afghan women.