As part of the EU-funded International Trade Centre (ITC) project ‘Turkmenistan: Enhancing Trade Resilience and Integration’, a study tour to Samarkand was organised for women entrepreneurs from Turkmenistan. This was reported by IIC Turkmenistan.

The delegation participated in a series of ‘100+ Women's Leadership’ events aimed at exchanging experiences and strengthening business cooperation.

The first two days were held in the format of a practical seminar in conjunction with the International Association of Businesswomen of Uzbekistan. Participants discussed the role of women's communities, shared professional stories and explored new approaches to sustainable business development. The focus was on mentoring, educational opportunities, interaction with government agencies and creating an enabling environment for women's entrepreneurship.

The culmination was the ‘100+ Women's Leadership’ meeting, which brought together more than 200 women leaders from the region to discuss the impact of women on the economy, the digitalisation of business and innovative forms of intergovernmental cooperation. Turkmen women entrepreneurs presented their initiatives and learned about successful projects in Uzbekistan, which provided new ideas and inspiration.

The final day was devoted to B2B meetings, where women entrepreneurs from the textile, education, IT, logistics and social sectors discussed the prospects for joint projects.

Today, women in Turkmenistan are increasingly taking leading positions in business and public life. Such regional initiatives, supported by the ITC, help them develop projects and strengthen cooperation between the countries of Central Asia.