OSCE Empowers Central Asian Women Entrepreneurs Digitally

On February 19, the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) launched the Central Asian Women's Entrepreneurship Program, themed "Strengthening the Digital Skills of Women Entrepreneurs."

This effort, which is part of the open data and digitalization project, intends to establish a virtual platform for 21 Central Asian women-led firms in order to stimulate communication, learning, and debate.

Over the course of seven weeks, the online training will cover critical subjects such as online marketplaces, social media marketing, and digital company management tools. It is tailored to the needs of the participants and includes seminars, practical sessions, and one-on-one mentorship from specialists in Silicon Valley, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

The entrepreneurs picked from a pool of 90 candidates come from a variety of industries, including bakeries, education, eco-tourism, and sustainable goods. With participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the program strives to promote inclusion and cross-border collaboration.

Vera Strobachova-Budway, Acting Head of the Economic Governance Unit/OCEEA, emphasized the importance of economic empowerment for women in the digital age, stating, "Digitalization is rapidly transforming the way we do business... Women entrepreneurs must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to navigate, compete, and succeed in this landscape."

The course, developed in conjunction with InkubasiaLab, an NGO focusing in digital skills development in Central Asia, is part of a larger project financed by the United States and Poland. Its primary purpose is to promote good governance and a favourable business climate in the OSCE area by using digitization and open data.