Azerbaijan’s women entrepreneurs focus on export of products under national brand to markets of CIS and Europe (Exclusive)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 6
By Matanat Nasibova – Trend:
The dynamic development of women's entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan will contribute to the creation of new brands and the export of products to foreign markets in the CIS and Europe in the future, chairperson of the board of the Azerbaijan Women Entrepreneurs Association Sakina Babayeva told Trend, assessing the current level of development of women's entrepreneurship in the country.
She said that presently, more than 143,000 women are engaged in entrepreneurial activity in Azerbaijan.
"In my opinion, this is a fairly high figure, and it will definitely increase," Babayeva said. “Azerbaijan receives 80 percent of the gross domestic product from the private sector, and it is obvious that women entrepreneurs also make great contribution to the development of the private sector."
“As a result of important economic reforms being carried out in Azerbaijan, the number of women entrepreneurs in the country has greatly increased,” she added.
"Presently, besides the agricultural sector, Azerbaijani women entrepreneurs are actively involved in health and education sectors,” Babayeva said. “Many of them own private medical clinics and various educational institutions. Effective use of the business and intellectual potential of women increases the level of employment and development medium and small business."
“Currently, the products of the Azerbaijan National Clothes Center and other enterprises run by women entrepreneurs under the Made in Azerbaijan brand are produced in the country,” she said.
“The establishment of the association is primarily aimed at strengthening the role of women in the field of entrepreneurship, as well as the dynamic development of small and medium-sized businesses in Azerbaijan,” Babayeva said.
"The Women Entrepreneurs Association was established with the support of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs, and we expect that it will contribute to greater intensification of women's entrepreneurship and further expansion of the country's export opportunities," she said.
“In my opinion, the development of women's entrepreneurship plays an important role in society and, along with the development of the business sphere in Azerbaijan, it is aimed at ensuring the rights of women and gender equality,” Babayeva said.
“The creation of legal foundations, granting of preferential loans to individuals, engaged in entrepreneurial activity, the introduction of preferential tax rates in many spheres, and in particular, the exemption of entrepreneurs engaged in agriculture from all taxes, created serious opportunities for the development of business in the country, including women's entrepreneurship,” she said. “That’s why the number of women entrepreneurs, preferring agrarian sphere, is being increased.”
“The growth of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan is one of the priority directions of the country's economic policy and special attention has been recently paid to the expansion of small and medium-sized businesses, and in particular to the development of women's business in the country,” Babayeva said.
"In the future, this can reduce the level of poverty and increase the social and economic authority of Azerbaijani women in society and the region," she said.
The Azerbaijan Women Entrepreneurs Association was established in October 2017.
