Tajikistan annually hosts important national and regional events to mark the International Women's Entrepreneurship Day. This year’s conference on this occasion was held on November 15, 2023, in the Hyatt Regency Hotel at the initiative of the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Secretariat of the Consultative Council of the President’s Office of the Republic of Tajikistan on improvement of the investment climate in cooperation with relevant ministry and agencies, and development partners.
The event was attended by a wide range of representatives from relevant ministries and agencies, business associations, private sector, development partners, national and regional experts, as well as media within the framework of EXPO 2023 - Women's Entrepreneurship Development: Partnership and Development Opportunities.
The official ceremony of the event started with opening remarks by Ms. Matlubakhon Sattoriyon, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan, Ms. Sumangul Tagoyzoda, Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan on Social, Family and Health Protection Issues, Gulnora Hasanzoda, Minister of Labor, Migration and Employment of the Republic of Tajikistan, Ms. Hilolbi Kurbonzoda, Chairperson of the Committee on Women and Family Affairs of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, Ms. Zarina Urakova, Acting Head of the UN Women in Tajikistan, Mr. Holger Wiefel, Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Representative Office in Tajikistan and Mr. Oleg Guchgeldiev, Head of the UN Food and Agriculture Program Office in Tajikistan.
The forum highlighted that since the Republic of Tajikistan gained its independence, at the initiative of the Founder of Peace and National Unity - the Leader of Nation Emomali Rahmon, the Government has gradually been creating favorable environment to improve the living standards and promote development of women and girls. In particular, a number of effective reforms have been implemented in various areas of the economy, which directly enable women entrepreneurs to implement and develop entrepreneurial activities across the country.
Thanks to the support of the Government of the Republic, the share of women in various spheres of the country's economy is increasing.
The purpose of the conference was, first of all, to present goods, products and services of Tajik business women, to raise awareness of women and youth of the country on the entrepreneurship reforms, to present financial opportunities, new reforms in this direction, to introduce opportunities, projects and plans of development partners to business women and girls, to exchange experience between business women of the country, to attract national and international experts in the development of women and youth entrepreneurship, to improve women's skills in the field of e-commerce, green economy and other relevant issues, as well as to involve a wide range of women and girls from regions of the country.
At the end of the official part of the Conference, several active business women who have made a significant contribution to the development of the social and economic sphere of the country, were awarded and recognized.
The Conference continued with sideline sessions on: "The Role of Women in Agribusiness", "Development of E-Commerce and Support for Young Entrepreneurs", "Women's Access to Finance, Experience of Leading Countries in Launching Gender-Sensitive Products".
The Forum concluded with reports of the session moderators, questions and answers, and exchange in opinion by the forum participants.