For the past six years, the American Chamber of Commerce with support from the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan has organized the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), an event held in November in 164 countries around the world. In addition, starting from 2015 (November), the Annual Women’s Business Forum and Expo was launched for the first time in Tajikistan. It had been led by the Taskforce on Women’s Entrepreneurship under the State Investment Committee which comprises the Government of Tajikistan and the development partners working in this field. In 2017, with the consent from the Government of Tajikistan, the Taskforce agreed to conduct annual Women’s Business Forum each spring. This year the event will be conducted on April 6 and followed by 2-days Expo.

The topic for this year’s forum is going to be the “Tourism and Handicrafts” which is also in line with initiative of the President of Tajikistan in proclaiming 2018 as a year of Tourism and Handicrafts development. Also the Government of Tajikistan together with development partners supported the idea of making upcoming forum a regional one, which would bring together the female-led tourist companies and handicrafts, women business associations from Central Asia, as well as Afghanistan.

The overall objective of the meeting is to identify the actual problems of women's entrepreneurship in CA region, share experiences and best practices in the region on developing tourism through expansion of handicraft potential.

The aim of the event is to connect women entrepreneurs from rural areas to local and foreign investors, as well as members of the diplomatic and donor community to ensure that the seed activity of these organizations becomes sustainable. Supporting the economic empowerment of women in Tajikistan and CA region is crucial to development, peace, and security goals in the country.

The meeting will also provide a unique opportunity to discuss and empowering women into entrepreneurship, especially to tourism and handicraft sector.

The event will consist of a panel discussion with the heads of the women-led tourist and handicrafts companies of Central Asia (and, possibly, Afghanistan), the beneficiaries of donor organizations’ supported projects, separate entrepreneurship related sessions/trainings, business breakfast on the next day of the Forum as well as an Entrepreneurship Expo, highlighting products produced by women in the handicraft, textile, agro-produce and IT sector.