OSCE supports workshop on women’s economic empowerment in rural areas of Kazakhstan

SHORTANDY, Kazakhstan, 30 March 2017 – A two-day OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on economic empowerment of women living in rural areas of Kazakhstan began today in the village of Shortandy near Astana.

The event, organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Astana in partnership with the Union of Women Entrepreneurs, will provide a platform for dialogue on current business challenges of rural residents with the representatives of legislative bodies.

“The OSCE Programme Office considers it important to reach out to women in the rural areas for whom self-employment may be the only job opportunity,” said Ambassador György Szabó, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Astana. “We hope that through this initiative we will promote the creation of new jobs in the rural areas and contribute to gender mainstreaming in the country.”

Some 50 participants from the Parliament, the Shortandy local administration and female entrepreneurs from the remote areas of the Akmola region discussed current government-supported business programmes, challenges faced in obtaining credit resources and the importance of gaining financial skills in doing business. The discussion was complemented by a training seminar on financial management and business leadership aimed at improving the management skills of women living in the rural areas of the region.

Meruert Kazbekova, a Member of Parliament and Chair of the Women Entrepreneurs’ Union said: “Gaining financial skills is one of the key prerequisites for participating in government-supported business programmes. Therefore, it is important to reach out to women living in the rural areas and improve their professional skills.”

The event is part of the Office’s long-standing efforts to promote gender mainstreaming and economic empowerment initiatives throughout the host country.