June 7, 2022, Tashkent Uzbekistan – From May 23-25 and May 27-30, Deputy Assistant Administrator (DAA) for the Asia Bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Anjali Kaur visited Uzbekistan as part of a high-level United States government delegation led by U.S. Department of State Assistant Secretary Donald Lu. On May 30, DAA Kaur announced $2.4 million in new USAID funding to support women’s economic empowerment (WEE) in Uzbekistan during a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture.
“A key element of USAID’s work with the government and private sector of Uzbekistan are our efforts to promote women’s economic empowerment. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are at the core of our development work and the United States has helped women in Uzbekistan begin and advance careers in horticulture, open new businesses, and expand existing ones,” DAA Kaur said.
The United States is committed to helping Uzbekistan achieve rapid, sustainable economic growth. The new funding will bring USAID’s total support for WEE this year to $3.4 million, under USAID’s Agribusiness Development activity. The money will be used to strengthen rural women’s workforce engagement in the Aral Sea region by delivering entrepreneurship and vocational training, providing funding for female entrepreneurs, promoting women’s access to the job market, and other initiatives.
During her trip, DAA Kaur also handed over $1.3 million worth of cold chain equipment to the Ministry of Health to aid in the fight against COVID-19, attended a workshop for women entrepreneurs, and met with USAID partners implementing programs to promote safe migration and counter trafficking in persons.
In Bukhara, DAA Kaur visited a USAID-assisted shelter for vulnerable women and children and several entrepreneurs whose businesses have grown and flourished after previously receiving USAID support. The continued success of these businesses demonstrates the long-term economic impact of USAID support to the private sector of Uzbekistan.
“By partnering with local organizations, USAID is demonstrating our commitment to locally led development, empowering local leadership and making development assistance more sustainable,” said DAA Kaur.
DAA Kaur’s portfolio covers South and Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, as well as Technical Services for the Asia region as a whole. She also leads USAID’s Asia Bureau COVID Response Team.
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USAID partners with the Government of Uzbekistan to diversify the country’s economy and increase regional trade, address serious health threats – including COVID-19 – and build the government’s capacity to respond to the population’s needs. For more information, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/uzbekistan, and Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/USAIDUzbekistan/
