USAID PRIVATE SECTOR ACTIVITY (PSA) WOMEN IN ASSOCIATIONS COMPONENT
The USAID Private Sector Activity (PSA) is a five-year initiative aimed at strengthening the resilience of the non-oil economy in Azerbaijan and improving the business environment. The project aims to increase the competitiveness of the private sector, with a special emphasis on agriculture and tourism.
In partnership with the Government of Azerbaijan and the private sector, PSA helps address common priorities for modernization and improvement of public and private sector support and service delivery. This bolsters the diversification of Azerbaijan’s economy by strengthening the capacity of public institutions to carry out new responsibilities.
PSA brings together several components, including Women in Associations. The main goal of this component is to support the development of women’s associations and women’s business organizations in Azerbaijan, and to increase the role of women’s entrepreneurship in the economy through the elimination or mitigation of barriers by promoting the role of women in business and the workplace. Within the framework of this component, cooperation is established with various women’s enterprises and organizations, as well as women-led associations, and support is provided to address barriers to the development of women’s entrepreneurship.
The project implements training and mentoring programs in cooperation with relevant government agencies, women’s associations, business organizations, and various local and international experts. As part of the project, for the first time in Azerbaijan, a Women’s National Business Agenda (WNBA) was established, which is a broad platform that supports and promotes the development of women’s entrepreneurship.
