Leadership, Enterprise and Association Development Project (LEAD)

Situation
Gender equality has been a focus in Counterpart International’s civil society programming since its inception as the Foundation for the South Pacific (FSP). After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Counterpart initiated health and microenterprise programs across the Newly Independent States with a particular focus on developing women entrepreneurs.

Following Uzbekistan's independence in 1991, the government instituted subsidies and tight controls on production and prices. Faced with high rates of inflation, however, the government began to reform in mid-1994 by introducing tighter monetary policies, expanding privatization and improving the environment for foreign investors. From mid-1994 through 1995, the country enthusiastically embraced its newfound capitalism.  Conditions were good for small business development; there was a “boom” in the development of women-owned businesses. 

However, in 1996 things began to change: taxation of businesses and restrictive laws became increasingly burdensome and limiting to small business development.

What We Did
Counterpart, together with Aid to Artisans, partnered with local NGOs to bolster and expand already established women’s programs. Counterpart worked to enable Uzbek women to achieve economic equity by increasing employment and income-generating opportunities through microenterprise.

• Training sessions were held for the staff of the Women’s Crisis Center on modern techniques and theories for supporting victims of physical domestic abuse.
• Counterpart provided funding for training sessions and networking opportunities for rural women at the Business Women’s Association (BWA), "Tabirkor Ayol," in Kokland.
• Support and funding were provided for the Crimean Tatar Women’s League in an effort to preserve the traditional crafts of Crimean Tatars while generating revenue.

Impacts
Counterpart’s assistance to the BWA "Tabirkor Ayol" in Kokand was so successful that the regional government asked Counterpart to replicate the activities throughout the region. Counterpart continues to emphasize gender equality in its work today, with the understanding that the empowerment of women is not achieved at the expense of men, but rather to their benefit.