Symposium of Women Entrepreneurs of Central Asia and Afghanistan to be held in Dushanbe

DUSHANBE. KAZINFORM - Symposium of Women Entrepreneurs of Central Asia and Afghanistan, organized by the EBRD, the National Association of Business Women of Tajikistan (NABWT) and the government of Tajikistan will be held on March 27-28, 2014 in Dushanbe, the EBRD reported.

The event will bring together more than 200 women entrepreneurs from Central Asia and Afghanistan, parliamentary representatives from Central Asian countries, and staff of development agencies, international and local financial institutions. The symposium aims to draw attention to the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and to discuss these issues, AKI Press reports.

Topics are expected to include: changes in the business environment, identifying and overcoming key problems, such as limited access to information, lack of financial resources and trainings, unsupportive policy and regulatory frameworks.

The symposium will also provide a platform for discussions with high-level policy-makers, as well as local and international experts. Participants will have the opportunity to contribute their ideas on policy-making processes.

Since the approval of the Strategic Gender Initiative (SGI) in April 2013, the EBRD has been working to improve the gender impact of its operations. It seeks opportunities to improve women's access to finance, employment and services, particularly in Central Asia, the southern and eastern Mediterranean and Turkey.