The Kurak Public Association of Entrepreneurs, in collaboration with development partners, celebrated World Women’s Entrepreneurship Day: New Facets of Partnership.” 

World Women's Entrepreneurship Day is a global initiative supported by the UN since 2014. It is aimed at supporting and empowering women entrepreneurs around the world and covers more than 140 countries, including Kyrgyzstan. By celebrating World Women's Entrepreneurship Day for the ninth year in a row, Kyrgyzstan has demonstrated its commitment to support women's economic activity with the entire global community. 

In his opening speech, Deputy Director of the Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ulan Daniyarov noted: “World Women's Entrepreneurship Day, celebrated every year, reminds us of the important role of women in business. This is a time to recognize and support women entrepreneurs, their contributions to the economy and their creative approach to entrepreneurship.”

The development of women's entrepreneurship is one of the most effective ways to overcome poverty and promote sustainable socio-economic development of communities. Women's entrepreneurship always and everywhere contributes to improving the quality of livelihoods and the expansion of women's economic opportunities leads to an improvement in the economic environment and market development.

Ainoura Sagynbaeva, Ambassador of the World Women’s Entrepreneurship Day in her opening speech said that today we have everything necessary for the real implementation of the planned: “Talented women of Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia with enormous innovation and desire are already scaling their business ideas and improving the well-being of their families, villages, cities and countries. Our women can do anything!” 

Annual events dedicated to this significant date are part of the promotion of the Government Program to support women's entrepreneurship and its implementation in the Kyrgyz Republic for 2022-2026. According to the latest Human Development Report, since last year the share of women in the labor market in Kyrgyzstan has decreased from 44.8% to 42.1% and is still very low compared to 71.7% for men. 

“UNDP pays special attention to expanding the socio-economic opportunities of women in Kyrgyzstan. Our programs create opportunities for women to succeed in various fields, be it entrepreneurship or STEAM. Over the past three years, through UNDP mentorship programs, more than 3,500 women entrepreneurs have been supported and more than 550 jobs have been created for women in rural areas throughout the country,” said Alexandra Soloviova, UNDP Resident Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic. 

This year, the World Women's Entrepreneurship Day was held with the participation of a wide range of women entrepreneurs from all regions of Kyrgyzstan and focused on the importance of developing partnerships and networks. The organization of the event was made possible with the financial and technical support of the development organizations in the Kyrgyz Republic such as UNDP project in the Kyrgyz Republic “Aid for Trade”, EBRD, MSDSP KG, support from the Swiss government, the World Bank, USAID, USAIDAgrotrade, Helvetas.