The Ministry for Support of Mahalla and Family on July 27 signed a grant agreement with international partners to implement the project "Expanding Economic Opportunities for Rural Women in Uzbekistan", the Minsitry said in a statement.

The Japanese government, through the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF), is providing a grant of over US$ 2.7 million for this purpose. The project will be implemented in 2021-2024 with the assistance of the World Bank in remote villages of Jizzakh and Fergana provinces.

The agreement was signed with the participation of the Minister for Support of the Mahalla and Family Rakhmat Mamatov, the Head of the World Bank Office in Uzbekistan Marco Mantovanelli and the Ambassador of Japan to Uzbekistan Yoshinori Fujiyama.

The goal of the project is to develop business skills among women living in remote rural areas of the country and included in the “women's notebook”, providing jobs and expanding economic opportunities for their families. It will cover rural areas in Furkat, Sokh, Yazyavan and Kushtepe districts of Fergana province and in Yangiabad, Bakhmal, Farish and Zaamin districts of Jizzakh province.

The project consists of two stages. At the first stage, 3,500 women will be trained in financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills, at the second, the participants will be able to implement 350 business projectsm with $ 1.5 million to be allocated for this. Business projects that will not be able to receive grant support will be assisted in obtaining financing from local banks.