‘Empower Her’: A new initiative to economically empower rural women

Achieving women’s economic empowerment is impossible without complex approaches and the involvement of a variety of sectors. That is why UN Women in Georgia constantly strives to support the partnerships of entrepreneurs, women living in rural areas, and companies that are signatories to the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) - collaborations that contribute to positive changes in the lives of women and their communities, creating successful examples of cooperation between the private and non-governmental sectors.

One such initiative is the new “Empower Her” project of ProCredit Bank (a WEPs signatory) and the TASO Foundation, which aims to engage rural women in the economic sector. Within the framework of the project, the TASO Foundation will select women living in rural areas using the methodology of social mobilization, and then the selected candidates will undergo specialized business training with the support of ProCredit Bank. In total, the initiative envisages training 80 participants throughout Georgia and will contribute to creating new opportunities for women entrepreneurs, sharing knowledge and skills tailored to their needs. Trainings will help rural women to become self-employed, start income-generating activities and expand or develop existing businesses.

“The project serves to increase the involvement of women living in the region in business, to encourage their initiatives, to raise their self-confidence and to create a culture of mutual cooperation,” says Zeinab Lomashvili, a member of the Board of Directors and Director of ProCredit Bank. “For us, as a banking institution focused on development, European values and inclusiveness, this issue is really a priority.”

The “Empower Her” project will be implemented within the recently signed Memorandum of Cooperation between ProCredit Bank and UN Women.

“Partnership with ProCredit Bank and the TASO Foundation gives us the opportunity to support women living in rural areas with business training, which will help them increase their self-confidence, gain economic independence and strengthen not only their families but also their communities,” says Kaori Ishikawa, UN Women Country Representative in Georgia.

The activities supporting the WEPs are carried out by UN Women within the framework of the Women’s Economic Empowerment component of the project “Good Governance for Gender Equality in Georgia”, funded by the Government of Norway.