Bishkek, 10 June 2024 - The United Nations Development Programme in collaboration with the JIA Business Association launches a mentorship program for women entrepreneurs and youth. The program is one of the activities of the UNDP project “Trade Facilitation in Central Asia”, funded by the Government of Finland, which supports the development of natural honey, adventure tourism, dried fruits and dried berries, felt and leather products value chains. 

Mentoring initiatives play an important role in economic empowerment of women entrepreneurs and contribute to socio-economic well-being. Women are now represented in a wide range of economic activities ranging from trade, services, textiles to IT and nanotechnology.

“Mentorship program is one of the important directions of the Program of the Kyrgyz Republic on the development of women entrepreneurship. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic supports initiatives aimed at developing entrepreneurship among women, in particular promoting capacity building of micro and small enterprises. It is particularly encouraging that this mentorship program is also aimed at strengthening value chains in key sectors prioritized 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 a mentoring program for women entrepreneurs and will include capacity building for business development, entering export markets, as well as individual mentoring for networking, sharing experiences and finding solutions to practical problems. In addition, participants in the mentorship program will have access to grant support for the introduction of green and innovative technologies in production, which will also be provided by UNDP.

“Women's entrepreneurship development is one of the most effective ways to overcome poverty and promote sustainable social and economic development in communities. UNDP seeks to support inclusive economies by building the capacity of entrepreneurs, complementing its initiatives with small grants programs. In doing so, priority is given to the sustainability and growth of micro and small businesses that benefit women,” emphasized Alexandra Solovieva, UNDP Resident Representative in Kyrgyzstan.

Overall, the mentorship program will result in increased sales and income, job creation, improved efficiency and competitiveness, increased online sales and exports for CDC participants, and the development of new products.