Tashkent, November 15. The Business Women’s Association of Uzbekistan "Tadbirkor Ayol" (Association) has launched a large educational campaign aimed at providing new opportunities for women willing to realize their entrepreneurial ideas. As part of this campaign, the Association, with the support of UNDP in Uzbekistan, organized an international conference “Successful approaches to economic rights and opportunities for women: the experience of Uzbekistan and the world community” held on 19 November 2021.

The event served as a platform for networking, sharing knowledge and experience and bringing business women from both Uzbekistan and abroad together. The conference was attended by more than 170 participants, including experienced women entrepreneurs and young girls planning to start their own businesses, representatives of state and public organizations, foreign business experts, representatives of financial institutions, insurance companies, and development organizations.

Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

The Chairperson of the Association Ms. Gulnara Makhmudova noted in her speech, that today there are 68 regional branches of the Association in the country, more than 200 specialists make a significant contribution to the development of women's entrepreneurship. For a number of years, the Business Women’s Association of Uzbekistan has widely celebrated November 19 - Women's Entrepreneurship Day, and this year it also coincides with the Association’s 30th anniversary.

Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

UNDP Resident Representative Matilda Dimovska emphasized the need to further develop the economy of Uzbekistan through greater involvement in trade and increased support for Uzbek women in their business endeavors. "UNDP is currently implementing a mentoring programme in Surkhandarya and Kashkadarya regions, which aims at enhancing opportunities of women and young entrepreneurs to set and run successful business with the support of experienced mentors. At the end of the mentorship program, we expect that women and youth entrepreneurs will launch their own production of green niche and export-oriented products with the high value-added in agri-food sector”, she said.

As a result of the International Conference, it is expected to develop recommendations for the further development of women's entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan by creating an optimal business environment for them.

To recall, achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is integral to each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by world leaders in 2015. Only by ensuring the rights of women and girls across all the goals will we get to justice and inclusion, economies that work for all, and sustaining our shared environment now and for future generations.

UNDP recognizes the role of trade in improving women’s economic empowerment and promoting gender equality. Trade can particularly improve women’s lives, create new jobs, enhance consumer choice, and increase women’s bargaining power in society.

In this regard, UNDP in Uzbekistan has taken concrete steps to create an enabling environment for the development of women's entrepreneurship. In particular, the UNDP project "Aid for Trade in Uzbekistan" conducted an analysis of the system of support and development of women entrepreneurship in Uzbekistan, based on which the relevant roadmap for 2021-2025 was developed. In addition, the project continues to build the capacity of the Association and its members on export development, access to foreign markets and mentoring programs for women entrepreneurship.

The UNDP trade development activities are carried out under the Action Strategy for Uzbekistan Development 2017-2021, with a focus on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN Member States.

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The UNDP regional project "Aid for Trade in Central Asia - Phase IV" is funded by the Government of Finland and aims to support Central Asian countries in promoting inclusive and sustainable growth models in rural areas and in green production sectors.