Asian development bank

Box 11: Central Asia regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 2 road Investment Project—Outcomes of the Gender Action Plan

Gender action plan interventions were implemented by two local nongovernment organizations:

(i) the Karakalpak branch of the Business Women’s association (tadbirkor ayol) for 100 female residents of Sarimaya village, and (ii) the association for Support of Children and Families for 100 female residents of Kirchin and pungon villages (Namangan region). On-site training covered topics such as the basics of entrepreneurship and the legal aspects of doing business.
after completing their training, most participants (80%) prepared business plans for food or bread making, tailoring, and sewing; of these, 10 participants submitted loan applications to a local commercial bank.^a three women entrepreneurs registered individually and joined the Hunarmand (Handicraft) association; in 2015, 11 women officially registered as individual entrepreneurs (footnote a).
during group discussions, female respondents from Kirchin village emphasized the impact of their training, which produced a positive shift in finding ways to generate income and increased their self-esteem and status in the family and community.^b
In small rural places, the female population is usually stable because women are very unlikely to leave their households and migrate outside the country or to the city. therefore, capacity development interventions have a long-lasting effect, contributing to economic and human empowerment of the trainees and positively affecting the lives of women, households, and communities.
the Central asia Regional economic Cooperation (CaReC) Corridor 2 presents several successful practices of national ownership and partnerships built as part of Gap implementation to contribute to the overall success of the project. For instance, an emergency ambulance, a drugstore, and an information kiosk for reproductive health resulted from a partnership between Gazli polyclinic and Sarimaya, a local hokimiyat.
^a adB. 2014–2017. Uzbekistan: Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC). Corridor 2 Road Investment. Gap progress reports. Uzbekistan Resident Mission.
^b adB field survey in 2017 in preparation for this CGa update.

• among key outputs, set the following targets for the Gap: (i) a baseline study of women’s use of highways; (ii) effects of inefficiencies in transport infrastructure on male and female MSMe owners, especially those engaged in trade; (iii) gender sensitization of implementing and executing agencies, based on the results of the baseline study; (iv) quotas for women’s participation in pre-project and project interventions; (v) public information campaigns to enhance women’s voices and

  
  

identify their specific travel needs along roadsides; and (vi) HIV/aIdS awareness; and

• extend the coverage of women-friendly financial products in the most remote rural areas, and encourage further collaboration between pCBs and the WC.

  
  

62 Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Update

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