UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)

AZE: Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment and Resilience through Private Sector Engagement Anchored in the Women’s Empowerment

Description

The project “Advancing Women’s Economic Empowerment and Resilience through Private Sector Engagement Anchored in the Women’s Empowerment Principles in Azerbaijan,” will be implemented over a 24-month period with support from the FCDO. The project aims to address persistent barriers that limit women’s economic participation and opportunities in Azerbaijan, despite the country’s commitments to gender equality under international and national frameworks, including CEDAW, the Beijing Platform for Action, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Strategy for Socio-Economic Development 2022-2026, the National Action Plan on Gender Equality 2026-2028, and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2026-2030. The project seeks to strengthen women’s economic empowerment by tackling interconnected challenges in the workplace, financial sector, business environment, and policy landscape. Women in Azerbaijan continue to face occupational segregation, unequal pay, disproportionate unpaid care responsibilities, limited representation in leadership positions, and restricted access to finance, business networks, markets, and high-growth sectors such as technology and digital entrepreneurship. These barriers are particularly acute for women entrepreneurs, rural women, and women-led micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), whose access to capital, financial services, market opportunities, and business development support remains constrained. Through engagement with the private sector and promotion of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), the project will support businesses, financial institutions, and relevant stakeholders to adopt more inclusive and gender-responsive practices. The intervention aims to improve opportunities for women’s employment, leadership, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and participation in emerging sectors, while also strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of women-led businesses.

---

Location

The country, countries or regions that benefit from this Programme.

Azerbaijan