ASTANA – Visa multinational card payment system and Halyk Bank will launch the fourth wave of the She’s Next initiative this spring, expanding support for women entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan, reported the press service of Visa on March 7.
Photo credit: Visa Kazakhstan
The initiative offers grant opportunities and loans with a focus on IT businesses to support women in the tech sector.
Since 2021, nearly 30,000 women from Kazakhstan and Central Asia have participated in three waves of the initiative. Last year’s events were held in eight regions of Kazakhstan, and the expert jury received more than 2,000 business plans, selecting 12 finalists and four winners of grants.
In 2024, 42 women entrepreneurs received approximately 800 million tenge (US$1.77 million) in preferential financing.
“Women in smaller towns often lack opportunities for business growth, and I hope expanding She’s Next nationwide will help create jobs and boost incomes,” said Halyk Bank chair Umut Shayakhmetova.
According to the bureau of national statistics, as of Jan. 1, 2024, women led 49 percent of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises in Kazakhstan. The World Bank’s 2024 Women, Business and the Law index rated Kazakhstan at 75.6 out of 100, indicating a relatively high level of female involvement in the economy, supported in part by entrepreneurship programs.
