AWCCI is supported and sponsored by USA based Institute for Educating and Empowering Women Worldwide IEEW and other Organizations.

Since 2002, many none profit organizations started working for Afghan women’s empowerment and rights achievement. Almost all focused their activities and advocacy work on women’s political, social and cultural participation and rights. None has taken on women’s economic participation or business women’s concerns so far. The need for an entity to organize business women’s voice and advocate for their interests is emphasized on in the report; Women’s Economic Empowerment IEEW , Information mapping, 2002-2012, Afghan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU): At the national level, an umbrella Afghan women’s organization is needed.

A group of businesswomen realized this need and lack of existence of a platform so they collaborated and established Leading Entrepreneurs for Afghanistan’s Development (LEAD). LEAD was established in 2013 and officially launched on January 22, 2014. It was registered with the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries as a Businesswomen’s Union. LEAD presented a proposal to the High Economic Council chaired by the President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai to change name to Afghan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AWCCI). LEAD’s name change to AWCCI was approved by the High Economic Council of the Afghan government on March 12, 2017.