AKIPRESS.COM - The project of the CCI and UNDP "Business Forum of Uzbekistan (Phase-III)" launches a new component to expand legal and economic opportunities for the development of women's entrepreneurships in Uzbekistan, the press service of the UNDP reported.

Engaged in entrepreneurship, women gain greater access to financial and other resources necessary for business, influence decision-making process, and develop and fulfil their potential. At the same time, women’s income-generating activities contribute to strengthening households’ sustainability, raising living standards, developing a successful socially responsible business, producing environmentally friendly products, and contribute to the country’s food and environmental security.

To engage more women in entrepreneurship it is important to create conditions for reducing domestic routine for women, in particular, provide more and better opportunities for child care. For example, increasing pre-school enrolment would enable women to devote their time to running their own businesses.

The "Business Forum of Uzbekistan (Phase-III)" project plans to develop a programme of measures to improve women’s conditions by enabling them to start a business. The programme will include trainings, elaboration and dissemination of business models for businesswomen in rural areas, provision of standard business plans, creation of opportunities for obtaining bank loans by pledging movable property.

To provide job opportunities for graduates from lyceums and colleges, women and youth, and to improve or acquire extra professional skills demanded by the labour market, the project will develop special programmes and methodological materials to conduct free trainings.

The project also engaged women in setting up high-density apple orchards. About 600 farmers, including women from the Kashkadarya, Samarkand, Ferghana, Andijan, Namangan and Tashkent regions were trained on how to grow apples in modern high-density orchards in Uzbekistan based on the developed manual. Participants learned about cultivating apple trees, introducing modern technologies in agriculture and achieving better yields through intensive farming technologies.