27 April 2022 – Deputy Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs Sadagat Gahramanova, Swiss Ambassador H.E. Ms. Muriel Peneveyre, Deputy Regional Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office for the South Caucasus Alberto Hernandez, and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Charu Bist visited Gusar. The purpose of the visit was to meet Women’s Resource Center members and visit rural women who opened their own small businesses over the past few years.

As part of the visit, the delegation met with the Deputy Head of Gusar Executive Committee Elman Mustafayev. They discussed the results of the successful cooperation and future prospects for joint work.

The delegation then visited the Women’s Resource Center and met with the active members of the Center. A certificate awarding ceremony was organized for rural women who successfully completed the project’s training series. Next stop was the exhibition where more than 20 women project beneficiaries showcased their products and services.

The regional trip concluded with the visits to Khuray and Chilegir villages where guests met with women entrepreneurs who opened their micro-businesses supported by the project and had a chance to have closer look at their work.

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Since 2018, with the funding support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and Austrian Development Cooperation UNDP and SCFWCA has been implementing the “Women’s Economic Empowerment in South Caucuses” project in Gusar, Sabirabad and Khazar (Baku) regions of Azerbaijan. As a result, 2 Women’s Resource Centers have been established and 1 supported, 115 women-led businesses built. Some 30 businesses have been established in Gusar. About 678 women have received trainings to master their employability and business skills. 8 private companies have accepted the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) and committed to follow them.

The second phase of the joint project started in January 2022. In this phase, the project will support the existing WRCs and establish the new Center in the conflict-affected Fuzuli region. 130 women-led businesses will be established in 4 regions and 350 women will be supported to improve their employability skills. The project will also be closely working with the private sector.