Kazakhstan's Atyrau champions women's entrepreneurship amid persistent challenges

Women's Entrepreneurship Development Discussed in Kazakhstan's Oil Capital

A meeting dedicated to the development of women's entrepreneurship was held in Atyrau, Kazakhstan's oil hub, organized by the Council of Businesswomen with support from local authorities.

Recall that on the eve of the New Year, a national information campaign was launched to comprehensively inform women entrepreneurs about existing government support measures. Speaking at the event, Gulzhan Mukhataeva, chair of the Council of Businesswomen at the Atyrau Regional Chamber of Entrepreneurs, noted that the issue of women's entrepreneurship remains a priority at the national level.

"On December 12, an expanded meeting of the National Commission for Women's Affairs and Family-Demographic Policy was held. Alongside the achievements of women entrepreneurs, unresolved challenges were also raised. As council members, we are directly involved in supporting women's entrepreneurship. Today, key issues remain unresolved, including tax incentives, insufficient infrastructure in remote districts, training, and digitalization," Mukhataeva said.

Entrepreneur Dina Dosanova, who specializes in felt product manufacturing, shared her experience. Despite government grant support, she emphasized that the lack of sales markets remains the primary obstacle.

"I've been a registered entrepreneur for six years and run a small workshop. There are about 250 artisans in the region, but we lack a unified center for selling our products and hosting master classes. We've been raising this issue for seven years. The only sales platform we have is the fairs organized by the local administration," Dosanova noted.

Representatives of government agencies and financial institutions briefed attendees on available support measures. According to Perizat Tanatova, head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Industry in Atyrau Region, small and medium-sized businesses receive systematic support through subsidies, guarantees, lending, grants, and regional programs.

"Special attention is given to social entrepreneurship, where 90% of entrepreneurs are women. Currently, 86 entities are listed in the regional social entrepreneurship registry, 78 of them women. In 2025, 22 entrepreneurs received non-repayable grants totaling 106 million tenge," Tanatova reported.

Nurlan Suyunbayev, director of the Atyrau Regional Chamber of Entrepreneurs, highlighted opportunities under the Aul Amanaty (Village Legacy) program for rural business owners.

"Financing is available through the program. The chamber is ready to assist entrepreneurs in implementing their projects—they can reach out to our district branches," Suyunbayev explained.

At the conclusion of the meeting, participants highlighted pressing challenges and agreed to continue joint efforts to further develop and strengthen support for women's entrepreneurship in the region. Notably, Atyrau Oblast currently has over 70,000 registered small and medium-sized businesses, with women leading nearly 45 percent of them.