Visa to finance women’s business dev’t in Azerbaijan

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Visa announces the second wave of She’s Next Empowered by Visa global initiative in Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

The project is aimed at supporting womenç who want to start or are already developing their own businesses. Participants will be able to expand their knowledge of business, develop skills and compete for a cash prize of up to AZN15,000 ($8,823) for business development. WoWoman, a platform for the development and motivation of women, is a partner of the initiative.

This year, the initiative is held on a competitive basis in two categories. The first category is “business idea”, for those who are just planning to start their own business. The winner will receive AZN10,000 ($5,882) to start her own business. The second category is “operational business”, for those who are already developing their businesses. The cash prize for the winner is AZN15,000 ($8,823).

The competition will be held in four stages - a collection of applications, training, video presentation, and finals.

"Visa supports a number of programs aimed at supporting small businesses, including small businesses run by women, all over the world. In the first wave of She's Next Empowered by Visa in Azerbaijan, we saw a great response - more than 1,000 women took part in educational seminars. The second wave should help women learn how to present their businesses effectively, which will help them attract investment in the future. We hope the program will provide even more training and business growth opportunities for women in the country, and the cash prizes will help the winners to take the next important step in their further business development," Visa’s Regional Manager for Central Asia and Azerbaijan Cristina Doros said.

She's Next Empowered by Visa is an initiative aimed at helping women who are involved in micro and small businesses. The project supports the development of women's entrepreneurship by providing practical advice on running a business and additional funding.

In Azerbaijan, the project was launched in the spring of 2021. In the first wave, a free educational online program was developed for women in business - those who are already developing a business or just planning to start one. The program consisted of eight webinars with leading women entrepreneurs, coaches, experts, and motivational speakers.