The WCL is a safe space where women can overcome their social fears, become more confident, and learn to be honest with themselves, all crucial for unleashing their creativity. With the support of professional mentors, participants are able to take ownership of their personal and professional lives and positively reflect on their participation in the program. The result of the empowerment program was that residents upgraded their skills, started careers after a long break, found new jobs, or launched their own businesses. They continue to collaborate as WCL innovators in joint business initiatives that synergize their talents. The following reflections were shared by the residents of the WCL “Akylzhan”: 

“At some point in my life, I thought that I was destined to be a housewife. My husband is in Russia as a migrant trying to make money for living. I was exhausted with my routine household chores. But when I joined the Women Creative Lab, I discovered myself in a totally new way. Now I am sure that I am able to become an excellent programmer, a handicraft artist while being a good mother."

“I am a religious person and I live in a religious family. Before joining the WCL, I used to think that women are destined to be housewives and limit themselves with everyday household chores. Simultaneously there was something that always attracted me and I could never ignore this feeling of mine. I had a feeling that I could be more useful to others. All members of WCL are so talented and smart! All classes were necessary, important and useful so I recommended my friends and sisters to join the WCL.”

"I am a student and it was a very interesting experience for me to work with women who have faced different challenging situations in their lives. My parents want me to connect my future plans with my future husband and his family. But I don't want to rush. I am convinced that I was right to doubt my parents’ words. Now I am confident that I will create my own destiny. I will apply to schools abroad to become a great international specialist." 

Due to the success of the WCL in Osh, the UNDP is scaling up the WCL network to Batken and Jalal-Abad regions to cover up to 200 rural women, supporting them in finding jobs and creating opportunities to generate sustainable income using their creative skills. The WCL residents in Batken are developing their soft and hard skills, learning how to monetize their hobbies in sewing, cooking, and providing services using digital skills. WCL residents in Jalal-Abad are participating in workshops for personal growth and self-identification and learning how to provide customer services in HoReCa (hospitality, restaurant, and catering) and guide tourists in their area for the best possible experience. The WCLs are expected to become safe platforms of creativity and freedom, not just for residents, but also for the communities, uniting diverse actors interested in local development through the creative economy.

As the result of experimenting, the WCL has become a unique paradigm that can be scaled by UNDP and adopted by grassroots organizations working in the field of women's empowerment. This successfully tested "soft package" can be customized according to the local context and accommodated by different actors. Due to the monetization of residents' creative skills and the innovative nature of the concept toward women's empowerment, the WCL is capable of continuing operations and becoming sustainable, both financially and content-wise.