Mirziyoyev identifies unemployment as the biggest issue facing women in Uzbekistan  

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev stated that unemployment remains the biggest challenge for women in the country. He made this remark on March 7 during a ceremony at the "Kuksaroy" residence dedicated to International Women’s Day.  

He announced that large-scale programs are being implemented to ensure women's employment and support their involvement in entrepreneurship. Last year alone, 17 trillion sums in loans were allocated for these initiatives. As a result, female entrepreneurs produced goods worth 81 trillion sums and exported $450 million.  

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One notable example is Shahnoza Karimova, a businesswoman in Navoi who produces confectionery and bakery products. She has trained and employed 50 women in need, even covering the down payments for 10 of them to purchase homes.  

Mirziyoyev praised such efforts, highlighting that generous businesswomen are emerging across all regions. He commended the "I Am a Creative Woman" initiative, which aims to train thousands of women in various professions and help them achieve financial independence.  

"As a practical step, I propose establishing a Council of Businesswomen under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This council will directly present issues to parliament concerning the challenges female entrepreneurs face," Mirziyoyev said. Deputy Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nodira Shotursunova will oversee these efforts.  

This year, significant progress has been made in employing two million women, including 1.3 million engaged in entrepreneurship. To support this, commercial banks will introduce favorable financial packages tailored for women-led businesses.  

For instance, the National Bank will support projects for at least 200,000 women in the service sector. "Turonbank" JSCB will provide low-interest loans to 150,000 women to start lemon farming. Other banks will fund various initiatives, including poultry farming, vegetable and seedling production, viticulture, and IT-related enterprises.  

To further support women's entrepreneurship, an additional 3.3 trillion soums will be allocated to mahalla-level projects this year. Another $100 million will be directed toward family entrepreneurship programs, with commercial banks securing an additional $100 million. Self-employed women will have access to unsecured loans of up to 50 million sums.  

The Hamroh company, established last year, has launched a program to support female entrepreneurs with an additional $100 million. Under this initiative, women who repay their loans on time can access unsecured loans of up to 100 million sums. Furthermore, grants of up to 50 million sums will be awarded to 1,000 mentor entrepreneurs who help at least five women start businesses in their mahallas.  

The Central Bank, in collaboration with commercial banks, will introduce new financial services for women within two months. One key reform will extend the repayment period for bank loans taken by women on maternity leave to 10 months.  

Mirziyoyev also announced a new four-stage system for developing women’s entrepreneurship:  

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1. Training in business skills – 20,000 women interested in entrepreneurship will receive training through the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  
2. Support for self-employed women – Khalq Bank will help 100,000 self-employed women transition into small businesses.  
3. Scaling small enterprises – The Hamroh company will assist two small enterprises per district in becoming exemplary mid-sized businesses.  
4. Developing "champion entrepreneurs" – The Chamber of Commerce and Industry will identify and support 50 outstanding women entrepreneurs to achieve an annual turnover exceeding 100 billion sums.  

Mirziyoyev emphasized that 2025 will be a pivotal year for ensuring women's employment. Efforts are already underway to transform 60 districts into "unemployment and poverty-free zones," with mayors tasked with eliminating unemployment among women in at least two districts per region.

To achieve this, multiple organizations will take responsibility:  

- The Central Bank, in cooperation with commercial banks, will train 1.3 million women.  
- The Federation of Trade Unions will provide vocational training for 636,000 women registered in the "Women's Notebook."  
- The Family and Women's Committee will assist 100,000 women in starting their own businesses.  

Zulaykho Makhkamova and Qudratilla Rafikov will oversee the implementation of these initiatives at the regional, district, and mahalla levels. Senate Speaker Tanzila Norbayeva, together with local councils, will systematically monitor progress and discuss developments regularly with officials.