Grants to support female entrepreneurs launched in Uzbekistan

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Female Employment Assistance Program launched by Uzbekistan’s Women Council Public Association, an organization patronized by Gulnara Karimova, has recently seen 35 women benefit from the measure.

Female Employment Assistance Program launched by Uzbekistan’s Women Council Public Association, an organization patronized by Gulnara Karimova, has recently seen 35 women benefit from the measure.

Under the said program, 35 women from various regions of Uzbekistan have been given Swiss-made Bernina sewing machines and certificates entitling them to free training on how to use the machines. The training sessions for young women in the regions will be carried out by high-calibre specialists from Switzerland. The said program is dedicated to propping up small business and home-based work among young women in Uzbekistan. The partners of the Women Council’s new program are the National Association of Microfinance Organizations and Credit Unions (NAMOCU), Xalqamir LLC, and Bernina Tikuv-Mash LLC.

The Female Employment Assistance Program (FEAP) is expected to boost the role of women in the socio-economic sphere and create new home-based jobs.

“I am very delighted that I’ve been given a sewing machine by the Women’s Council. I have been engaged in weaving since I was a school girl. My mother, who is paralysed now, used to be a seamstress and taught me skills. And I have an opportunity to help her. I wouldn’t be able to get a sewing machine of this kind on my own if it wasn’t for this program,” says Natalya Hon, one of the program participants, adding that she is thankful to the organizers of the program.

Also, two sewing machines have been given to a seamstress’s workshop employing disabled people. It is the first pilot workshop set up under the aegis of the Women’s Council at Tashkent’s Yakkasarai district and is aimed at helping to improve the current system of professional training and employment for disabled people.

FEAP is another in the series of measures to support female entrepreneurship initiated by Gulnara Karimova. Among other similar measures are annual grant projects, training sessions and seminars on financial literacy and business planning. These projects are implemented by the Women’s Council, Mehr nuri (Ray of mercy) Foundation and the Social Initiative Support Fund, which are patronised by Gulnara Karimova.