ASTANA, Kazakhstan, March 8. In 2024, more than one million women in Kazakhstan led small and medium-sized businesses, accounting for 48.1 percent of the total number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Trend reports via Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy.
“Women are actively involved in entrepreneurship across various
sectors of the economy, including trade, education, the beauty
industry, and socially-oriented projects. Small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) led by women are predominantly registered in
Kazakhstan’s larger cities. In Almaty, 174,851 women manage SMEs,
while in Astana, the number stands at 121,203. In recent years,
there has been a noticeable increase in the number of women
pursuing environmentally sustainable and socially impactful
projects, aligning with both global trends and the national policy
on sustainable development,” information notes.
Kazakhstan is actively creating conditions to promote women’s
entrepreneurship. One example is the preferential mortgage program
"Ұмай" (Don’t Worry), designed for working women, including mothers
of many children and single mothers. Additionally, the state
program "Үміт" (Hope), implemented through the “Damu” Fund, offers
grants, and subsidies for aspiring female entrepreneurs, as well as
educational courses and consultations. Women can also benefit from
the free online Business Qymyz program and participate in the
“Coca-Cola Belesteri” competition to receive grants.
Also the ministry added that support for women is provided through initiatives such as TalpynUP, the Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network program, and the "Business-Aru" project, which will launch from March 6 to 23, 2025, in partnership with Mastercard and the EBRD. As part of this project, women will be able to receive free knowledge in finance, marketing, sales, and business management, as well as develop their business plans.
Meanhwhile, measures to support women’s entrepreneurship in Kazakhstan not only contribute to the development of small and medium-sized businesses but also make a significant contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal - "Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls."
Moreover, the development of women’s entrepreneurship support programs, access to financing, as well as training and mentoring, create additional opportunities for women and accelerate progress toward gender equality in Kazakhstan.
Since 2015, the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have been implementing the "Women in Business" program aimed at increasing the competitiveness of female entrepreneurship. Within the framework of the program, 521 consulting and coaching projects have been carried out, over 7,500 women have been trained through the online program "Women in Microbusiness," and the EBRD has provided $212 million to 6 financial institutions for lending to women-owned SMEs.