PRIZE WINNERS 2006 - Third Winner

Third Category for projects initiated, sponsored and/or implemented by individuals

“Business Women Association helps women find their way in life and not loose it. The transition to a market economy is a hard burden for socially vulnerable people – women, children, elder people and invalids. And such women as Dildor Alimbekova is of great demand for Uzbekistan”.
Lorrain Raffing, former UNDP Deputy Representative in Uzbekistan.

Dildor Alimbekova, Founder and Chairperson, Business Women Association of Uzbekistan (BWA) “Tadbirkor ayol”. She has initiated the BWA with aim of raising the economic status of women, providing training and assistance to women who lost their jobs during the disintegration of the Soviet Union and transition to the market economy. Her whole hearted dedication vibrated women folk in Uzbekistan in particular and the central Asia in general.

The project "Work places creation through training of women on vocations and business skills” is an excellent conceived and implemented project - well thought, well planned and well managed. Women folks in developing countries are to some extent neglected. They are not provided in general with adequate all round facilities for their over all developments – social, vocational, economical and political. This project with assistance of German Chamber and other international organizations revolutionised empowerment of women in Uzbekistan and neighbouring Republics such as Kazakhstan, Tajikstan and Kyrgyz stan. Modern thought of free economy and economic, social and political empowerment of women are well envisaged in the project. The new concepts of helping the poor marginalized people specially women with vocational Training and micro finances is praiseworthy.

The project is a well thought innovative project which gave adequate emphasis in education, vocational training, advocacy, micro finances, management, entrepreneurship, business skills, women empowerment etc and cooperation and coordination among agencies and nations. The reach of the project in terms of number of people which have received training and now gainfully employed or self-employed in businesses is very large. The project has adopted a strategy which focuses on interventions in line with the priorities of the Government of Uzbekistan and which is sensitive to the social, economic and cultural realities of the women in the country. Emphasis has been on promoting women’s businesses in the context of broader socio-economic development strategies, through a coordinated package of activities including skills training, entrepreneurial development and post-training support services such as provision of credit, technical and legal assistance. The strategy and success story of the project is now being replicated in other Central Asian countries to irradicate poverty and empowering women. Recognition has to be given to the critical role in the project of Ms Dildor Alimbekova, BWA Chairperson; she is the conceiver, designer, implementer and manager of the project. Her advocacy campaigns to bring to the attention of the Government and the private sector of the problems of women and especially the unemployed have been recognized both nationally and internationally.