The USAID Holiday Fair held last weekend in Dedaena Park united more than 120 entrepreneurs from across Georgia. The entrepreneurs were participants in USAID programs that support youth and women entrepreneurs and also Georgia’s agriculture sector. These programs are part of USAID’s 30-year commitment to make Georgia more prosperous and to make sure that prosperity reaches the people of Georgia, including women, in every corner of the country.
Members of the Georgian Heritage Craft Association and AWE (Association of Women Entrepreneurs), which have received support from USAID, also participated. In addition, the fair hosted entrepreneurs from the charity organization reWoven, which supports women in Azerbaijani-minority villages in southern Georgia by helping them weave the traditional carpets that have been a crucial part of their culture for centuries.
“USAID was proud to see so many entrepreneurs supporting themselves, their families, and their communities at the event, and we were very happy with the number of visitors to the fair, supporting these entrepreneurs despite the weather,” Marika Olson, Economic Growth Office Director, USAID/Georgia, tells GEORGIA TODAY.
We asked her about the main activities of the event and the opportunities it provided to the women entrepreneurs.
“The entrepreneurs and artisans came from across Georgia. They are women and men of different ages making a diverse array of products,” she says. “The fair was open to the public and provided an opportunity for handicraft artisans and food producers to sell directly to a wider audience than in their home communities.
“It was an excellent opportunity for visitors to do their holiday shopping and a great chance for women entrepreneurs to establish business relationships through direct networking with the public–and to make money by selling their goods. Many of the entrepreneurs that have participated in previous fairs arranged by USAID have established connections to further access local and even international markets.”
Tell us about the importance of encouraging/strengthening women entrepreneurs across the country.
USAID invests in Georgia’s women entrepreneurs to help them develop sustainable, profitable businesses that allow them to support their households. Some even provide employment opportunities for others in their communities.
USAID supports women entrepreneurs around the world because the economic empowerment of women is critical for economic growth: economic growth is more sustainable when it includes the participation of everyone. It’s also important for democratic development: when women participate in the economy, studies have shown they are more likely to participate in democracy, making a country more reflective of the people who live there and making that democracy stronger.
What benefits do USAID program beneficiaries get through the program?
USAID supports women entrepreneurs across Georgia with access to finance, training, and networking opportunities such as this fair. Women are educated in enterprise management, and get mentoring and coaching support based on individual needs. Since 2015, USAID has supported more than 1,700 young entrepreneurs with business training and has financed 90 startup businesses.
Tell us about the work done by USAID recently for the economic empowerment of women living in rural areas and the progress achieved in this regard.
USAID supports rural women entrepreneurs and equips them with business management, leadership skills, and financial literacy. More than 1,300 rural women across Georgia have already received training and become leaders in their communities by successfully managing their businesses. In addition, women entrepreneurs participate in Women Entrepreneurs’ Workshops that focus on personal growth, developing self-confidence, leadership, effective communication, networking, budgeting, financial planning, and customer development. Workshop participants establish strong contacts with each other, exchange valuable experience and knowledge, share lessons learned, and plan future activities.
USAID supports women’s participation in a wide variety of professions, including women owned startups, and expands operation of women owned businesses. This includes tourism, handicraft production, and agriculture.
USAID has also partnered with UN Women to eliminate job-related stereotypes and increase women’s participation in highly paid jobs such as technology or construction. For example, we just launched a partnership with Business Technology University to establish eight coding schools for young women outside major cities. More than 1,500 young women will be trained and get jobs in the highly demanded ICT field.
What are the near-future plans of the program aimed at supporting youth and women entrepreneurship in Georgia?
By 2024, USAID will provide more than 2,600 women with access to finance, training, and marketing opportunities. USAID will finance more than 40 woman-owned startup businesses and support them with mentorship and coaching. In addition, USAID plans to hold more women entrepreneurship fairs in the future, so stay tuned!
USAID supports women through other activities as well. Our “Girls for Change” inspires and educates future female leaders and encourages the business community to proactively engage in women/youth empowerment activities. In addition, as part of its work to empower women to engage in local policymaking, USAID issues grants to local organizations to strengthen women’s advocacy skills and inform them about critical economic reforms.
