Women and Development

UNDP Turkmenistan Photo project

July 27, 2022

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, 8 March, in the framework of the UN Agencies’ public campaign #ZenanlarHakda, UNDP Turkmenistan launches a Photo project “Women & development” to feature inspiring and empowering stories of ordinary women and girls across the country and to recognize women’s role in socio-economic development of Turkmenistan.

Ogulshirin Tacheva

All over the world, engineering is one of the fields most dominated by men, but women scientists can play an important role in finding solutions to climate change and moving everyone forward towards a sustainable future for everyone.
On the eve of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, read the story about Ogulshirin, a fourth-year student studying biotechnology and ecology and environmental management at the Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan. She brings her valuable contribution to the fight against climate change through using science and applying an innovative approach to finding solutions to the planetary crisis.

Read the full story

Lyubov Berezutskaya

Lyubov Berezutskaya has been working for many years in a disability center for children with disabilities, at the Sports Club for the Disabled in Ashgabat. The center provides free rehabilitation and massage for children with disabilities diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 3-12 years.

Being herself a person with a disability, Lyubov always remains purposeful, responsive, hardworking, sincere and ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. By its example, Lyubov inspires people not to remain indifferent and to kind to people. “Because good always triumphs over evil!” she says.

Leyli Yagshyyeva

Leyli Yagshyyeva is a Youth Ambassador who motivates and empowers her country's youth for positive change in favor of our planet.
She has repeatedly represented Turkmen Youth at international high-level events such as PreCOP26 Youth4Climate: #DrivingAmbition event, in Milan and others. For two years as a Young SDG Ambassador for the Goal No 13 – Climate change, Leyli actively promoted youth engagement and encouraged others towards more inclusive and sustainable societies. For the second year in a row, Leyli has been working in a team to build an inclusive platform - the Local Conference of Youth (LCOY) to initiate proposals for decision-makers from youth of the country.
This year Leyli participated at the UNDP Regional Workshop on Youth Environmental Activism in Turkey aimed at expanding the cooperation among young people of the region to combat climate change.

Jemal Uvarova

Jemal Uvarova, volunteer fundraiser, takes care of children with disabilities and serious illnesses. For many years, Jemal has been involved in various charity events to help people in need. During many years Jemal witnessed challenging and joyful moments in people's lives and never stopped believing in kindness. Jemal is also a volunteer in the Turkmen Society for the Nature Protection and actively participates in eco actions.

Gulbadam Babamuratova

Being a graduate of the Turkmen School of Higher Sportsmanship, Gulbadam is a Turkmen judo and sambo wrestler.
Gulbadam is the winner of numerous major international tournaments, which helped her to earn universal honor and respect.
Among her many victories, it is worth mentioning Gulbadam’s gold medal at the 2012 World SAMBO Championships in Minsk, a gold medal at the 41st World SAMBO Championships in Sochi (2017), first place at the European Judo Open Cup in Turkey, a gold medal at the World SAMBO Cup among students in Kazan, a gold medal at the Asian Sports and Combat SAMBO Championships in Tashkent (2014) and other.
Gulbadam won a silver medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, won a gold and a silver medal at the Asian Beach Games 2014, and a gold medal in judo at the Asian Open Tournament in Taiwan in the Taipei-2015 competition.
The example of Gulbadam challenges gender stereotypes and demonstrates once again that women and girls can develop and achieve great success in sports.

Jennet Hemrayeva

Jennet Hemrayeva studies at the Ivanovo State Power Engineering University in Russia at the faculty of software engineering. Jennet started working in IT as a tester. The work became more and more interesting and exciting. Here colleagues helped her to move forward and develop further. And now, Jennet is already working as a front-end developer:

“I do not regret that I started with testing, it helped me to understand the system of how everything works in web applications. After a short time, I already joined the team working on the development of a huge project and my previous experience helped me to contribute to its implementation.

Jennet does not stand still, learning and practicing new web technologies and improving her knowledge of a programming language. Jennet's example helps to break gender stereotypes in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and open new development opportunities for women and girls.

Aknur Hodjagurbanova

Aknur Saparovna Hodjagurbanova, a woman who has made a huge contribution to the culture and education of Turkmenistan, is the hero of our next story within UNDP Photo project “Women & Development and the UN campaign #ZenanlarHakda.
Aknur Saparovna conductor, honorary teacher, choirmaster, head of "Gunesh" choir of the special musical boarding school at the Turkmen National Conservatory named after Maya Kuliyeva, honored arts worker of Turkmenistan and a winner of the contest “Türkmeniň Altyn Asyry”.

Aknur Saparovna has been teaching music to children for 64 years. She first worked with a professional choir and then focused on a children's choir. Aknur Saparovna helps children understand and correctly perform musical works, feel the depth of the authors' ideas, absorb the experience of great artists, emotionally feel every note and give a free rein to their feelings and experiences. After all, only in this way does each new musical composition enriches each student.

Mahliye Kurbanova

Mahliye Kurbanova teaches biology at school No. 8 in the city of Koytendag, Lebap velayat, Turkmenistan.
Together with her students Mahliye collects plastic waste from contaminated areas and turns them to DNA, human organs, amoebas, molecules, unicellular animals, vertebrates, and other illustrative material to supplement textbook learning and help students to grasp challenging scientific concepts.
This hands-on experience not only helps students absorb the learning material, but also promotes behavioural change regarding rational consumption and waste management.
Last year, Mahliye actively participated and won the “What will YOU do to stop plastic pollution?” video contest hosted by the UN Agencies in Turkmenistan in the framework of the public information campaign devoted to the World Environment Day.

Gulalek Hezretgulyyeva

Gulalek Hezretgulyyeva, Producer, Influencer and just an ambitious woman graduated from the Turkmen State Institute of Culture in 2007 and since then has been producing various TV-films, TV- shows, music clips as well as short documentary movies. Her famous works include “Tikgi and others”, “Chepbe and others”, “Arzuwym (2015)”, “Zyyada (2018)” and multiple shows on Turkmen Owazy musical channel.

Gulalek dreams of international career and always strives for the best.

Gulnara Tayjanova

On this International Mother Earth Day, we are happy to present to you the story of Gulnara Tayjanova, first ever eco-blogger of Turkmenistan.
As a prominent social media influencer, Gulnara has done a lot to promote behavioural change in local communities by providing guidance on living with less waste. Gulnara is also a founder of an online Eco-Market, which serves as platform for marketing eco-friendly products.
Gulnara often goes to shelters for homeless animals to tell later their sad stories to her subscribers and make them care.
Like any other influencer, Gulnara relies on international experience and actively works with the experts of UNDP Turkmenistan project on “Sustainable cities”.

Read the full story

Keya Bayramova

Keya is an ambitious female entrepreneur, the recipient of the Brilliant Minded Women’s Award from Canada and Founder of successful enterprises employing around 3, 000 people and servicing the highly competitive and usually male-dominated construction sector.

Daughter of the famous Turkmen artist, Founder and Executive Director of “Durdy Bayramov Art Foundation” and “Bayramov Museum” in Toronto, Canada in honor of her father and to demonstrate the world beauty of the Central Asian Arts and culture.
She is the author of three books on the arts and culture of Turkmenistan. Keya is an art and artifact collector and desires to build a Central Asian Museum in Dubai.
Keya is dedicated to empowering and employing women as much as possible. Being a visionary leader, she was able to break boundaries for women and prove that women and girls are capable of achieving great success in diverse businesses. Keya is a mother of three boys, whom she teaches to respect and promote women’s rights.

Mengli Nazarmedova

Like any teenager, after graduating from high school, Mengli dreamed of entering a higher educational institution. Mengli ended up in the field of IT quite by accident, while preparing for the entrance exams, she simultaneously decided to find a part-time job and responded to the vacancy of an assistant system administrator in one of the country's IT companies.

During her work, Mengli met many IT representatives from all over Turkmenistan, and also learned about the availability of tests and certification courses that are equivalent to a diploma of higher education in the field of IT.

The mentoring from the side of leading IT professionals added value to her self-learning process and by carefully watching how other colleagues work and create, how hard they work and support others to simplify work processes through automation, Mengli was inspired to continue her education and career path in the same direction.

Now Mengli works as a System administrator of one of the biggest IT companies. She worked hard to obtain several certificates in the field of information technology specializing on such products as: Microsoft, Eset, Sophos and others. Mengli doesn’t’ give up and always strives for new successes.

Irina Dovletova

Irina Dovletova is a Head of the Training center for personality and business development IDEA, teacher and certified psychologist.
For many years, Irina has been making a great contribution to the education and development of women in #Turkmenistan helping them become more confident in life.
70% of women and girls, after courses completion open their own business, get a job and continue their career growth.
Irina teaches women and girls how to effectively manage their time, speak confidently and competently in public, manage work and life balance, and move forward fighting with challenges and obstacles.
The center also provides free learning opportunities based on the results of online competitions and quizzes (@id.idea.tm), and an opportunity to acquire unique knowledge to improve the quality of life and further develop.

Anna Sultanova

Anna Sultanova has been leading a socially active #lifestyle for many years.
A couple of years ago, Anna and her friends created a creative cluster for young people and implementation of many ideas, including in the field of reasonable consumption and sustainable lifestyle.
Together they created a social project called “Koshma” and since 2016 they have been regularly holding festivals and flea markets where you can change/sell/buy clothes and give them a second life. SECOND HAND - SECOND CHANCE! By the way, not only clothes, but also books, interior items and much more!
Now Anya is an entrepreneur and Director of a creative cafeteria for modern urban vintages, which actively promotes the principles of smart consumption #ForPeopleForPlanet.

Jamilia Kerimova

Meet the hero of our first story - Kerimova Jamilia, General Director of the first Coworking center "Ish Nokady" in Turkmenistan.

Jamilia is also the Franchise Director of the City Business school - MBA business education for adults, MINIBOSS BUSINESS SCHOOL - business education for children, International IT Academy (ITEA) - IT and CODDY International Programming School - IT training for children and teenagers.
As part of their extensive activities, Jamilia and her colleagues help young people develop and find themselves. They put a lot of emphasis on the development of women and girls in science and technology professions (STEM), an area where gender stereotypes and challenges for women and girls always exist.

The aim of the training was to introduce concepts related to gender equality, including gender norms, gender stereotypes and prejudices, as well strategies for achievement of gender equality and gender mainstreaming, international obligations and national framework for gender equality, gender data and gender analysis.

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