Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment: Update

Gender, Rural Livelihoods and Forestry
. 
Socio-economic and Gender Analysis 
of the Forestry Sector in Uzbekistan
. Under publication. p. 40.
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adB field survey in 2017 in preparation for this CGa update.
123 
United Nations development programme, Japan International Cooperation agency, Chamber of Commerce and 
Industry and Business Women association. 2017. 
The Portrait of Business Women of Uzbekistan. The 
survey conducted 
under 
Business Forum of Uzbekistan
Project. 
phase 2.

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Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Update
4. ADB Interventions
Since 1996, adB has supported small businesses in Uzbekistan through four financial 
intermediation loans and four capacity-building technical assistance programs. the Small 
and Microfinance development project (phase III, $100 million, 30 June 2016–december 
2017) supported financial inclusion, especially outside the capital, by providing loans to small 
businesses for working capital and fixed asset investments, and to women-owned businesses 
through appropriate gender policies.
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Categorized as eGM, the project had comprehensive 
Gap targets and indicators, the most important of which were included in the design and 
monitoring framework (dMF). project Gaps addressed the key issues identified during the 
project design phase and objectives were set for
strengthening the capacity of participating 
commercial banks (pCBs) to provide financial services to small businesses organized by women, 
mostly from the rural areas.
the Gaps’ key outputs were (i) developing or improving credit assessment techniques with 
sharpened gender focus; (ii) raising awareness and building the capacity of members of the pCB’s 
management board, senior management, all employees at the head office, and all branch offices; 
(iii) establishing quotas for the number and amount of loans issued to women entrepreneurs and 
women users of e-banking services; (iv) conducting annual surveys of small enterprises managed 
with women’s participation; (v) building clients’ capacity for business and promoting financial 
literacy among small enterprises; (vi) developing new financial services or bank products to 
support small business for women; (vii) conducting lending awareness campaigns to promote 
women’s entrepreneurship; and (viii) promoting women’s access to credit.
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5. Good Practices and Lessons Learned
the impact of the Second Small and Microfinance development project/phase II (completed 
in 2014) is impressive. the project created 21,968 jobs (37% filled by women) through sub-
loans from pCBs. Ipak Yuli Bank and Hamkor Bank issued 4,152 microfinance loans and 502 
small business loans (31.2% for rural women’s MSMes). pCBs’ capacity-building interventions 
resulted in subsequent training of clients
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and improved services.
the main types of MSMes supported by pCBs are mostly limited to catering and trade of food 
and nonfood products, clothing and footwear for males and females, construction materials, 
automobile spare parts, and pharmacies. None of the supported female-established businesses 
relate to industry, construction, or innovative technologies. the number of hired workers in 
MSMes fluctuates from 2 to 20, with many of the latter having been hired for seasonal jobs 
(e.g., college students during vacation periods). Small sewing-related businesses are limited 
because of high rental costs, a professional approach to product quality, lack of professional 
skills, and high turnover among workers. the types of MSMes related to manufacturing are 
limited mainly to sewing and bakery/cooking, and oriented to the local neighborhood market.
Gender stereotypes regarding the behavior of women entrepreneurs are also among the 
constraints on the spheres of female-led businesses and their size. However, the transforming 
reality, necessity, and desire to make the business successful and efficient produces a positive 
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adB. 2017.