NUR-SULTAN – The U.S. Mission in partnership with the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) launched the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs program (AWE) on Aug.18 to support women entrepreneurs in southern Kazakhstan.
CDA Judy Kuo welcomes participants at a virtual launch of AWE. Photo credit: U.S. Embassy. Click to see the map in full size
Judy Kuo, Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy Nur-Sultan, virtually welcomed the 100 participants from the Turkistan, Zhambyl and Almaty Regions, encouraging them to use the AWE’s resources and networks to grow their businesses and expand their opportunities.
According to the embassy, a successfully executed and sustainable business will help to strengthen the region’s economy and, as a result, the country as a whole.
Kazakhstan’s ambassador to the United States Yerzhan Ashikbayev, who attended the virtual opening of the academy online, tweeted that “a momentous event on launching the AWE in Kazakhstan celebrates a successful teamwork of the U.S. State Department.”
The online training will be conducted in the Kazakh language. Participants will also have an opportunity to improve or acquire English language skills and financial literacy in addition to the core business module. The program is designed both for women with no prior entrepreneurial experience and those who already have a certain level of business skills or an existing company that they want to expand.
Operating in more than 80 countries, the AWE program has already equipped nearly 16,000 women from all around the world with the business skills and contacts they need to start new businesses and scale existing ones.
