A highlight of the EXPO was the TEDxWomen Talks segment, where nine Kyrgyz women entrepreneurs shared their journeys, achievements, and challenges in building successful businesses. Their stories underscored the resilience, innovation and creativity that women bring to the economic landscape, offering valuable insights to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Sub-Regional Women’s Entrepreneurship EXPO 2024 Champions Women Entrepreneurs in Central Asia
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The Sub-Regional Women’s Entrepreneurship EXPO 2024 held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, provided an inspiring platform to showcase and support the economic empowerment of women across Central Asia, organized by UN Women Kyrgyzstan and supported by key national and international partners, including the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, the State Agency for Intellectual Property and Innovation (Kyrgyzpatent), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Accelerate Prosperity. The event aimed to drive innovation, foster business opportunities, and highlight the contributions of women-led enterprises in the region.
The event attracted over 200 participants, and opened with high-level remarks from government officials, UN leaders, and financial sector representatives, setting the stage for a series of impactful discussions. Key speakers, including the Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on economic and Fiscal Policy Mr. Dastan Bekeshev and UN Women Deputy Regional Director Elisa Fernandez Saenz, emphasized the importance of gender equality and the potential of women entrepreneurs to drive socio-economic progress.
“Let's work together to foster and support women's entrepreneurship. As the Deputy Chair of the Budget, Economic, and Fiscal Policy Committee of the Jogorku Kenesh, I am fully committed to advancing this cause. If you have any innovative initiatives for the development of women’s entrepreneurship, I would be glad to listen and offer my support as your advocate in Parliament.”
– Dastan Bekeshev, Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on economic and Fiscal Policy in the Kyrgyz Republic
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“This sub-regional EXPO event showcases the power of partnership and collaboration—where all partners have come together to leverage their strengths and contribute to the economic empowerment of women in Central Asia.”
– Elisa Fernandez Saenz, UN Women Deputy Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia
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“Developing women’s entrepreneurship is very important. In Kyrgyzstan, and many other countries, women make great contributions to the development of the economy and their families. It’s necessary to show successful businesswomen to inspire and motivate girls and other women to start their businesses. It’s important to talk about the innovations they introduce to their businesses because it’s key to competitiveness.”
– Diana Orozbaeva, CEO, Cleaner.kg
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In addition, 10 successful women entrepreneurs, focusing on sectors like agriculture, technology, healthcare, and the care economy, who are taking part in UN Women’s Regional Women’s Entrepreneurship EXPO 2024, pitched their businesses to an expert panel and investors. This interactive session allowed participants to present their businesses and gain networking opportunities to enhance their visibility and attract potential partnerships.
“Platforms such as EXPO help women entrepreneurs exchange experiences, meet like-minded women entrepreneurs, and take their businesses to a new level. Women entrepreneurs should never stop trying – because eventually you will achieve your dreams.”
– Kunduz Khaidarova, Founder, Business English School
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The event culminated with an award ceremony recognizing standout entrepreneurs who demonstrated innovation and growth potential.
The EXPO 2024 also emphasized the need for continuous support for women in business. In Kyrgyzstan, UN Women is partnering with key actors in the business and financial sector, as Ministry of Economy, President’s Administration, Kyrgyzpatent, EBRD, Accelerate Prosperity including other actors and work on Women’s Economic Empowerment to contribute to women’s increased participation in economy both as leaders and drivers of economic development by ensuring a safe work environment and opportunities for professional career growth and women led business development.
In the words of UN Women Kyrgyzstan Representative Ms. Ulziisuren Jamsran, “Women entrepreneurs are powerful drivers of innovation and economic growth. EXPO-2024 serves as a unique platform for sharing knowledge, forging new business alliances, and empowering women across various industries. Women are not just contributing to the growth of Kyrgyzstan's economy — they are actively reshaping it, unlocking new opportunities for sustainable development and long-term prosperity for the country.”
The fourth and final Dialogue of Women of Central Asia, under Kyrgyzstan’s leadership, was also organized within the framework of the sub-regional EXPO event under the “Women Innovators as Accelerators of Socio-Economic Development in Central Asia" theme, co-hosted by UN Women Kyrgyzstan, the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic, UNDP, and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. The Dialogue focused on advancing women’s economic empowerment and fostering innovation and leadership among women in Central Asia through targeted policymaking initiatives.
The Sub-Regional EXPO 2024 highlighted the transformative impact of women entrepreneurs in Central Asia and set a strong foundation for future collaborations that will continue to empower women across the region. On 26 – 27 November, the local EXPO events will culminate in the regional Women’s Entrepreneurship EXPO 2024, the largest networking event for women-owned and -led businesses in Europe and Central Asia, uniting women entrepreneurs, investors, and business partners from across the region. Learn more and register now!
Launched in 2021, the Women’s Entrepreneurship EXPO is a unique partnership platform to promote women’s entrepreneurship ecosystem building in the Europe and Central Asia region. EXPO provides an interactive space for women entrepreneurs, investors and private sector representatives for networking and collaboration, peer learning, ideas generation, capacity building and business development. EXPO 2024 is organized by UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Yıldız Holding as part of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Accelerator.