Bishkek, June 6, 2024 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kyrgyzstan in cooperation with the JIA Business Association is launching a mentoring program for women entrepreneurs and youth. The mentoring program is part of the UNDP project “Central Asia Trade Support” funded by the Government of Finland and aims to support value chain (VAC) development in natural honey, adventure tourism, dried fruits, dried berries, felt and leather products.
Mentoring activities play a vital role in promoting economic independence and socio-economic wellbeing of women entrepreneurs.Women are currently involved in a wide range of economic activities, ranging from trade, services and textiles to IT and nanotechnology.
“The mentoring program is one of the key areas of the Kyrgyz Republic’s Women Entrepreneurship Development Program. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic supports efforts to develop women’s entrepreneurship, particularly in building the capacity of MSMEs. It is great that the mentoring program also aims to strengthen value chains in key sectors that are priorities for Kyrgyzstan’s development,” said Ainura Usenbekova, Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The mentoring initiative will focus on developing and implementing mentoring programs for women entrepreneurs and will include capacity-building activities for business development and export market entry as well as personal mentoring to build networks, share experiences and find solutions to practical problems. Additionally, mentors will have access to grant support for the adoption of green innovative technologies in production, also provided by UNDP.
“Fostering women’s entrepreneurship is one of the most effective ways to overcome poverty and promote sustainable socio-economic development in local communities. UNDP strives to support an inclusive economy by building the capacity of entrepreneurs and complementing its efforts with a small grants programme. At the same time, priority attention is given to the sustainability and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises benefiting women,” emphasized Alexandra Solovieva, UNDP Resident Representative in Kyrgyzstan.
In general, mentoring programs are expected to contribute to increased sales and income, the creation of new jobs, export access for value chain participants, and the development of new products.
Media Inquiries For further information, please contact UNDP Communications Officer Ainagul Abdrakhmanova at ainagul.abdrakhmanova@undp.org.
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About the project: The “Central Asia Trade Support” project is funded by the Government of Finland and has been implemented in Kyrgyzstan since 2009. At the moment, Phase V of the project (2023-2025) is being implemented and aims to promote inclusive and sustainable growth through the development of “green” value chains and improving the competitiveness of production. The project focuses on strengthening four value chains: dried fruits, natural honey, adventure tourism and artisanal crafts, leveraging the country’s natural potential and protecting the environment, contributing to increased sales and the creation of new jobs.
