OREANDA-NEWS. On 03 March 2009 was announced, that a forum titled "Business opportunities for rural women" was held in Ashgabat on 26 February. The forum was organized by the Women's Union of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ashgabat as part of the joint project "Support to Rural Women and Gender Mainstreaming in Policy Making in Turkmenistan". The project was implemented in Dashoguz and Mary provinces in the period from 2007 to 2009.

Members of the national parliament, representatives of ministries and organizations, public associations, international organizations accredited in Turkmenistan, local self-governance bodies as well as 40 rural women-entrepreneurs participated in the forum.

"The project proved very interesting and useful for my business, said Bibijemal Bayramova, owner of a small manufactory for production of keteni fabric in Georogly disctrict of Dashoguz province, in an interview with Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper. I have worked out a business plan and received a mini-grant for expansion of my manufactory. I opened 12 new jobs for girls from my district. We manufacture headscarves, neckerchiefs, purses, mobile phone cases of keteni fabric. We also designed new ribbons for school graduates and many other things."

According to Ogulbibi Akmammedova from Sakarchaga district of Mary province, a tailor of wedding dresses, suits and coats, the joint project of UNDP and Women's Union equipped the project participants with necessary knowledge in the field of marketing, banking and taxation system of Turkmenistan. "I can now run my business independently in the broad sense of the word, i.e. to organize business, run books, prepare reports to the tax inspectorate and do marketing. I received a mini-grant within the framework of the project. I bought two sewing machines using this grant. I take it as a great achievement that I have got a state order to sew school uniform," she said.

According to the forum participants, today Turkmenistan has all conditions for further development of intellectual and social capacity of rural women.