The project, elaborated under the UNESCO’s Global Priority on Gender Equality, was focused on facilitating flexible learning opportunities for women and adolescent girls through non-formal education programme. Trainings were designed to implement gender responsive programme that ensure transferrable skills development for girls and women living in rural areas of Uzbekistan. Four-day trainings were organized in three target areas of Uzbekistan: Chavkan Village of the Shakhrisabz District of the Qashqadaryo Region (20-23 May 2015), Tortkol Village of the Izboskan District of the Andijon Region (27-30 May 2015) and Dehqonobod Village of the Mirzaabod District of the Syrdaryo Region (1-4 June 2015). The trainings were conducted in the framework of UNESCO’s Participation Programme on “Women Empowerment through Lifelong Learning Programmes in Rural Areas in Uzbekistan” in close collaboration with Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan, Ministry of Public Education, Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education, Chamber of Commerce of Uzbekistan, DVV International in Uzbekistan. In total, 180 women and adolescent girls participated in skills development trainings.

The participants were selected by local communities and municipalities. Practical exercisers were designed on the basis of the UNESCO training manual on “Starting my own small business” for adult learners. Training manual, adapted to local peculiarities was published in Uzbek language (1000 copies) and distributed among all participants as well as to the adult learning non-formal training centers under the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan. The four-day training agenda developed in consultation with Chamber of Commerce of Uzbekistan and Microcreditbank of Uzbekistan, covered learning course on communication and social networking, administration and management, evaluation and critical thinking, information gathering and presentation, teamwork skills. The trainings methodology was based on the principle of interactive learning process. During training each participant elaborated personal business plan for future private entrepreneurship.

It is important to mention, that the capacity building trainings were implemented as follow up of National Adult Education Forum (Tashkent, 24-25 September 2014) and the project on “Achieving Women Empowerment in Uzbekistan through Training Programmes on Entrepreneurship” realized in two regions of Uzbekistan (Syrdaryo and Toshkent Region) in August-November 2014 within the framework of the “2014 Bridge Capacity-Building Project (Increasing Capacity of National Commissions Programme: ICoN)” financed by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO.