Almost a third of Kazakh women living in rural areas are engaged in business. According to experts’ forecasts, this number may double in the next three years. The results of a sociological study were announced today at the V National Forum of Rural Women held in the capital. The participants shared their experiences and talked about the state and social support measures for businesswomen in the country. Thus, over 60,000 women have learned the basics of entrepreneurship within only one social project over the past 10 years. More than a hundred out of 4,000 business ideas developed by the trainees have been implemented with the support of grant funding. Not only have they successfully started their businesses, but they have also created new jobs.
“20 new entrepreneurs who will create around 60 jobs in the nearest future will receive grants of US$2,000-4,000. 20 percent of them will engage in crop production and livestock, around 40 percent will produce consumer goods in rural area, which are food and non-food products, and 5 percent will provide services in villages,” said Yelena Ozhgo, director of the ‘Social Dynamics’ Public Foundation.
“I received a grant of 560,000 tenge under the Business Bastau program in 2019 and started my own business. I managed to get grant funding again in 2021. I expanded my production with these funds and bought a sewing machine. Now I need to buy a laser machine. I’m going to participate in the competition again to get a grant in the amount of five million tenge,” shared Shugyla Kambysheva, a businesswoman from the Abai region.
