On 19 February, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) launched the Central Asian Women's Entrepreneurship Programme titled "Strengthening the Digital Skills of Women Entrepreneurs". The programme, initiated as part of the project on open data and digitalization, will serve as an online platform for exchange, learning, and dialogue for 21 women-led businesses from Central Asia. Through a series of workshops, women entrepreneurs will be empowered to scale their businesses through the effective use of digital technology.
The online programme will last seven weeks and will cover topics such as the use of online marketplaces, social media marketing, and digital tools for business management. It is tailored to the contexts of programme participants and is a mix of training, practical workshops, and one-on-one mentoring provided by highly skilled trainers and guest lecturers from Silicon Valley, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
The 21 women entrepreneurs, selected from over 90 applicants, represent a broad range of businesses. These include small bakeries, education centers, service providers, and local and handmade products shops, as well as eco-friendly and sustainable businesses, and businesses in the field of eco-agrotourism. Twice a week, the programme will invite participants from across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan to join virtually.
Women entrepreneurs will learn how to develop and scale up their respective businesses using the Business Canvas Model, how to create an online presence and a recognizable brand identity through the use of digital tools, and how to effectively use digital financial tools for business management.
"Women's economic empowerment and human capital development in the digital era are key OSCE priorities," said Vera Strobachova-Budway, Acting Head of the Economic Governance Unit/OCEEA. "Digitalization is rapidly transforming the way we do business and is having a profound impact on economic development. Women entrepreneurs must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to navigate, compete and succeed in this landscape, and this is exactly what this programme will do through a series of workshops, online training sessions, and one-on-one mentoring. By doing so, we aim to not only empower women entrepreneurs but also to catalyze economic growth, inclusion and innovation in the region."
This activity is implemented together with InkubasiaLab, an NGO based in Bishkek specialized in developing innovative training programmes to enhance digital skills in Central Asia. It is being implemented in the framework of the cross-regional project Promoting good governance and a positive business climate in the OSCE region through digitalization and the use of open data, funded by the United States and Poland.
