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Elena Bokshtayeva participates in a mentorship session.
Elena Bokshtayeva’s business idea emerged unexpectedly when her husband took up smoking fish as a hobby. Sourcing high-quality fish from Kamchatka, Belarus, she launched an online shop, using social media to promote her products.
“We bought land, built our own house, and moved the operation there. But I felt stuck - I wanted more,” recalls Elena.
Not sure how to take the next step, Elena learned about UNDP Belarus’ mentorship programme for women entrepreneurs and signed up. Guided by Oksana Zhikhareva, a well-experienced entrepreneur in catering, Elena tackled key challenges - she opened a physical store, optimized social media marketing and streamlined operations by diversifying their product range by 20 percent, and fine-tuning pricing and design.
“My mentor helped me prioritize, strategize and evaluate progress. We analyzed competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and adjusted our approach. Oksana’s expertise made the process smoother—she pointed out crucial details we would have missed”, Elena says.
Mentors do more than inspire—they guide. From work-life balance to salary negotiations, they equip women with the tools to succeed. More than advice, they offer structured ecosystems of support: connections and opening doors to jobs, collaborations and opportunities.
UNDP sees mentorship as essential—not just for training or policy change, but for shifting mindsets. It helps women overcome gender barriers, gain leadership opportunities and access economic resources.
The impact is undeniable. Closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship could boost global GDP by 20 percent. Advancing gender equality could add US$12 trillion to the economy by 2025. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, sustained support of women entrepreneurs at the same rate as men could generate $5–6 trillion in new global output.
Despite Belarus’ ranking 55th in the 2024 Global Gender Gap Report and 6th in economic participation, women still earn less, take on twice the unpaid labor and face barriers in business. With women making up 40 percent of entrepreneurs, closing these gaps is key to sustainable economic growth, especially in small towns and rural areas.
For Elena, opening her store fueled a 60 percent surge in online orders, with website traffic and phone inquiries up 20 percent. Social media engagement rose by 30 percent, drawing in a growing customer base. Today, her shop is the largest fish store in her hometown, demonstrating the power of mentorship in fostering economic independence and business resilience.
Elena’s ambitions, however, stretch far beyond this single store. With the help of her mentor Oksana, she has drafted a business plan to establish her own fish production line.
“Our long-term goal is to create a nationwide network of stores with our own production,” she shares, her vision clear and ambition. “The programme helped me to see the bigger picture and take my business to the next level.”
Nurgul Piltan experimenting.
Nurgul Piltan, an ambitious young woman from Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, always dreamed of a career in STEM but lacked the guidance to navigate the male-dominated field. After completing her studies in computer engineering, Nurgul faced a challenge familiar to many young professionals: securing a job in her chosen field. Instead, she found herself working for a car dealership.
"In Kazakhstan, gender equality in STEM is still evolving,” she observed. “Stereotypes, a lack of role models and weak support mechanisms often discourage young women from pursuing careers in technology."
Kazakhstan has made strides in gender equality, yet women remain underrepresented in STEM fields, facing limited access to networks and career opportunities. A 2024 UNDP and UN Women study revealed that 54 percent of Kazakhstani citizens believe STEM careers are unsuitable for women. This perception is reflected in statistics, with only 8-15 percent of women currently enrolled in engineering programmes.
Nurgul’s prospects changes with a Leadership Programme for Women in STEM in Astana, which addressed gender disparities and introduced her to pioneering women leaders. She had the privilege of being mentored by an ideal role model: Zhannat Dubirova, the Vice Minister of Industry and Construction.
“My mentor didn’t just teach me technical skills—she showed me how to think like an engineer, how to approach challenges and most importantly, how to believe in myself,” says Nurgul.
These experiences reignited Nurgul's passion for tech and design. She now aims to become a leading specialist in UX/UI design, web development and front-end engineering, with aspirations to one day establish her own design studio or IT company.
Jiidegul Alimbek kyzy in her hotel office.
Jiidegul Alimbek kyzy, an entrepreneur from Jalal-Abad and owner of the “Good Night” Hotel, has shown that family business can be successful and sustainable. Her hotel employs eight local staff, 75 percent of whom are women who now have stable incomes and growth opportunities.
In Kyrgyzstan, women’s participation in entrepreneurship remains limited, with only 29 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises led by women and a labor market share of 42.1 percent compared to 76.7 for men. These disparities stem from persistent gender gaps, traditional societal norms and unequal access to resources like financing and training, making stories like Jiidegul’s all the more significant.
Jiidegul and her team received comprehensive training from UNDP’s Aid for Trade project, covering all aspects of the hospitality industry—from customer service essentials to first-aid training. "When I started my business, I didn't even know how to serve breakfasts. It took a long time to learn about the hotel standards and cost me more time and resources. What once seemed insignificant - how the driver greets guests, how breakfast is served - it's these details that keep guests coming back time and time again.”
Understanding the seasonal fluctuations of tourism, Jiidegul made a strategic decision to diversify her business by launching a catering service at the hotel, increasing revenue and ensuring year-round business stability. However, she initially lacked and skills on to properly start catering services.
Through Aid for Trade’s mentorship program, she chose Gulzat Raimbekova, Chair of Horeca Plus, as her mentor. In addition to consultations, Gulzat arranged a study visit that allowed Jiidegul to learn best practices in the catering industry-all which helped her introduce catering services without wasting time and resources or making mistakes.
The Aid for Trade project, which focuses on strengthening value chains in adventure tourism, empowers women by leveraging experienced mentors to foster sustainable business growth, as evidenced by its support for over 800 women, resulting in a 30 percent sales increase and nine new empowerment projects.
Jiidegul’s professional success shows how UNDP programmes integrating financial literacy, business coaching and digital tools, help women entrepreneurs in Kyrgyzstan expand their businesses and drive economic growth.
Nuriniso Malik at an IT training.
Nuriniso Malik always believed in the power of technology to transform healthcare. As a medical specialist in Tajikistan, she saw firsthand how digital solutions could improve access to care, yet she lacked the technical skills and career guidance to bridge the gap between medicine and IT.
"Imagine a world where people don’t have to wait in endless queues just to see a doctor," she mused. "With the right use of technology, they could book appointments online, consult with specialists remotely, and get the care they need—without the long wait."
Eager to make this vision a reality, Nuriniso joined UNDP’s IT Internship Programme for Young Women. She quickly gained practical tech skills, but she soon realized she needed more than just training—she needed a mentor to guide her through the complexities of career-building in a new field.
“The right guidance can make all the difference. Sometimes, we just need someone to show us how to take that next step.”
These success stories from Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan demonstrate that mentorship is not just beneficial but essential for accelerating women empowerment in economic development, innovation, social inclusion and human rights. Women across Europe and Central Asia are very strong, they build business, enter male dominated industries reshape economies that are not always designed to fit for their needs. But they shouldn’t have to do it alone.
Accelerating action to achieve gender equality for all takes everything from institutional, structural change to societal change to personal, professional growth. Mentorship is more than just guidance—it’s a lifeline, a source of inspiration, and a catalyst for that change.
This International Women’s Day, UNDP wants to reconfirm its commitment to build a stronger foundation for a more equal and prosperous future for all.
