Women's Enterprise Development Centers Open in All Regions

Initiative to help build more sustainable economic growth

By Gleb Klimenko

ekaraganda.kz

Fourteen centers for the development of women's entrepreneurship have been opened in 14 regions of Kazakhstan, Kazinform International News Agency reports.

A multilateral initiative

The centers were opened jointly by the Solidarity Fund Partnership of the Ministry of National Economy, the National Commission for Women's Affairs and Family and Population Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the NCE Atameken.

The first three women's enterprise development centers were opened in 2021 in Turkestan, Almaty, and Mangystau regions. The initiative is funded by the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan, the official website of the UNDP in Kazakhstan reads.

"Women still face certain barriers when it comes to setting up and developing their business both in Kazakhstan and worldwide. These include insufficient access to formal financial resources, information, services, and networking. Gender inequality, including those related to the unpaid and care work, and insufficient development of social infrastructure also affect the level of women's involvement in entrepreneurship."

Bauyrzhan Orazgaliyev, Director of the Department of Regional Development of Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs

A promising start

To date, more than 500 women have applied for support at the Centers, which opened in three regions in 2021; an analysis of needs in these regions has been conducted to identify the most important training topics.

"Supporting the development of women's enterprise will help empower women, reduce inequalities, and promote more sustainable economic growth that builds on the potential of the entire population. This will in turn contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. We are pleased to be able to support this initiative in all parts of Kazakhstan."

Vitalie Vremis, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Kazakhstan.

Arystan Galiev, Project Coordinator of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), noted that the bank pays great attention to the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment. "We hope that the creation of women's entrepreneurship development centers will not only create new opportunities for entrepreneurs but also enable them to make a significant contribution to the development of their region and country," he said.

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