The men on board of female-led economic initiatives

ABSTRACT: In the nearly 500 female-led self-help groups established in the frame of the Regional Migration Programme in Tajikistan women and men closely work together. This cooperation is promoted by the 71 male self-help group members in the Sughd Province.

The predominance of male emigrants has placed over the last years many Tajik women as heads of their households. The Regional Migration Programme (RMP), jointly implemented by IOM, UN Women and WBG with a financial support of UK’s Government, supports left-behind women of migrant families in coping with this responsibility. Since its launch in 2010, the programme has helped create a vibrant network of 482 self-help groups, 199 of them in the Sughd Province and 283 in the Rasht Valley districts. The members of these groups closely work together and receive support on economic as well as social and legal matters.

The number and variety of joint economic initiatives currently implemented by self-help groups points to the progress achieved regarding women’s economic empowerment in Tajikistan: Across the country, the RMP has brought together 2,884 women which, based on the similarity of their professional interests and the complementarity of their personal skills, jointly develop and realise business ideas. Alongside the self-confident, energetic women, key actors in this process are also the many men who support the female-led initiatives.

“The self-help groups have established themselves as well-respected actors in the commercial production of agricultural goods and handicrafts”, says Sainiddin Alamadiev. The Head of Shaidon, a municipality in the Sughd Province, stresses the relevance of the female workforce. “Women’s participation in the public business sector is crucial – for the economy in general and even the more in a migration context.” He equally points to the cooperation between men and women as a fundamental element for a country’s wellbeing. “We all form part of one society – so we should together shape all its spheres: the social, economic, political.”

Rukhsora Usmonova and Akbar Oblokulov stand for a female and a male entrepreneur who successfully work together in the municipality of Gonchi. The professional career of the toady 42-year-old woman accelerated in 2010 when she became the leader of a self-help group built within the RMP. Already in 2011, Rukhsora Usmonova initiated the formation of the cooperative “Guncha” in which her group joined forces with three other self-help groups. Lemon tree cultivation and dairy product manufacturing form the two business branches in which “Guncha” has successfully professionalised: While the lemon trees stand in full blossom at the time of the visit, an elaborate distribution system is operational with which kefir, ice-cream and other milk products, all with their own label, are sold to a range of local shops.

Akbar Oblokulov points to two female relatives who brought him on board of the thirty person business enterprise “Guncha”: Over the last five years of RMP’s implementation, his daughter has specialised on lemon trees, whilst Rukhsora Usmonova, his daughter-in-law, coordinates the cooperative’s activities as a director. Based on his professional background as an economist, the pensioner has become interested and increasingly involved in “Guncha” – first as a trainer and consultant, then as a member. “Today, we form part of the same well-rehearsed team”, say the director and her father-in-law with one voice.

Whilst “Guncha” stands out with its development as a start-up enterprise, Akbar Oblokulov is one among meanwhile 71 male members of female-led self-help group in the Sughd Province. “Many men, who in the beginning were adverse or reluctant to our economic activities, have become supporters”, tell the female group leaders and members. Local politician Sainiddin Alamadiev catches a topicality when referring to the returnee migrants whose number, since the crisis in Russia, has significantly increased. “Some of them, fortunately, found working places by joining a self-help group”, observes the head of municipality.

Economist Akbar Oblokulov also highlights the potential that small entrepreneurial units such as self-help groups have in the present situation: “They root the principle of joint action again in our society.” For an instant, he looks back at Soviet times when his municipality had been famous for its honey. In a dialogue with his daughter-in-law, he then glances at the future, appraising the power of modern production methods and linking the methods with innovative products such as chips and cheese. Listening to them, one gets the impression that their stimulated dialogue will not merely continue for a long time, but also lead into concrete action.