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Women empowerment is a cornerstone of sustainable development. When women are empowered, they contribute significantly to economic growth, social stability, and overall community well-being. 

However, in developing countries in general and areas beyond capital cities in particular, women often face unique challenges that hinder their potential. These regions, characterized by limited production opportunities, significant labor outmigration, and persistent stereotypes about women’s role in the society, require innovative solutions to harness women's capabilities. 

Despite existing development constraints and limited budgetary support from local governments, communities can create value-added products that drive development by leveraging local resources (including intangible assets like social capital, cultural norms, and branding) that could be monetized through creative expression; and women can make a major contribution towards that process. 

The creative economy has significant potential to boost GDP and employment by enabling individuals to innovate and produce valuable products and services. These industries create jobs, improve quality of life, and foster inclusive societies, benefiting from greater involvement of women. 

According to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, 40% of those employed in creative industries are women, most of whom work informally. However, the UNDP’s research on creative skills conducted in 2023 shows that despite strong interest among respondents in creative employment, half of the women cited "lack of financial support" as a key barrier to developing their skills.

Additionally, 59% of women highlighted the need for safe creative spaces to meet, share ideas, support each other, and exchange experiences as a crucial institutional measure to enhance their engagement.

To address these challenges, UNDP launched Women Creative Labs (WCL), representing first in Kyrgyzstan women-oriented coworking space with an extremely enabling and nurturing peer environment. Operating on the basis of cooperation with local NGOs and municipal governments, the Lab serves multiple functions, including giving access to seed financing sources to test or speed up women’s business ideas in creative enterprises, running special training and tutoring support programs, as well as providing conducive environment for exchanging information and knowledge on the topic of interest, such as financial literacy, gender equality, legal rights, and even sexual and reproductive health.

The successful experience of the laboratory in Osh in 2022 made it possible to launch laboratories in Jalal-Abad and Batken in 2023.  By applying human-centered design approach and principles of inclusivity, the Laboratories aim to affect changes on multiple levels, going bottom up from beneficiaries to partners to communities. Participating women are the primary beneficiaries, gaining essential resources and skills to empower themselves financially, emotionally, and psychologically. 

According to Gulsana Abytova, Head of the Laboratory in Jalal-Abad and Batken:

“We were very eager to address the issues of women's unemployment, lack of job opportunities, and income through the strengths of women—practical skills in making kurak, shyrdak, souvenirs, providing tourist services, and more. Women need to meet like-minded individuals, share their ideas and experiences, learn new things from others, and receive support and a positive attitude. It is important for women to have their work, skills, and abilities recognized, which is not easy in rural areas. They can find all this at the Laboratory.”

The words of Aidarbek Alisherov, Head of Ketmen-Döbö village in the Toktogul district, further attest to the recognition of the Laboratory’s contribution to community development:

“In 2023, women from the village of Ketmen-Döbö joined the Women's Creative Laboratory, which is already operating in other regions of the republic, focusing on guesthouses in tourism and tourist services. As a result, four guesthouses were opened in the rural district, with one operating seasonally. 

Women are engaged not only in tourism but also in creating traditional carpets, patchwork items, and much more, which are long-standing parts of Kyrgyz culture. The Women's Creative Laboratory has assisted participants with training, workshops, and creating conditions for women in rural areas to work in various fields such as tourism, craftsmanship, and other areas. This has enabled women to develop the potential of their region, draw attention to its tourism potential, and create conditions for prosperity.”

The Laboratory also enables grassroots NGOs to drive development agenda on the ground. Through disbursement of grants, the initiative provides opportunities to local partners in combining and testing contextualized conventional and innovative methodologies and approaches to inclusive economic development. Empowered grassroots organizations, mainly represented by women themselves, gain credibility and a strong voice to engage with local authorities and advocate for change as a united force. 

According to Nurlanbek Junusov, Head of the Unemployment Assistance Department in the city of Nookat:

“This year, we held a series of events dedicated to women's employment. Among our most active participants were the coordinators of the Women's Creative Laboratory. They made a significant contribution to our events, actively participated, shared their ideas, and helped us achieve good results. Wherever we went, many women listened to the advice of our leaders, took their contact information, showed interest in their activities, and approached us with a strong desire to work. Therefore, we highly value their contribution to our efforts.”

This journey continues with the hope of creating a broader impact through the development of a network of Women Creative Labs across the country. Already, more than 300 women have become Lab residents, and over 1,000 women have joined the network in various locations. 

WCL has proven to be a unique and scalable model that can be adopted by grassroots organizations and customized to fit local contexts. Thanks to the monetization of residents' creative skills and support from local governments, WCL can maintain operations and achieve both financial and content sustainability. 

A compelling example of this sustainability is the establishment of a women's cooperative in Kyzyl-Kiya, inspired by the laboratory model, which brings together women engaged in sewing production. 

Another lab initiative aims to develop Toktogul into a tourist destination, boosting the local economy and community. Inspired by the model’s success, three new laboratories are to be open in Naryn region this year. This not only validates the model but also creates opportunities for future synergy and sustainability beyond UNDP's contribution. 

The creation of a network of laboratories will not only foster a community of practice with opportunities for information exchange, deeper expertise, and efficient use of resources, but also transform perspectives on the role of women in rural communities. This network envisions women as empowered, proactive community actors and equal decision-makers. In the next blog, we will explore how the Women Creative Lab contributes to normative and behavioral change in rural communities by challenging gender-based stereotypes.

The blog was co-authored with Aikerim Motukeeva, UNDP consultant for the development of knowledge products.

URL: https://www.undp.org/kyrgyzstan/blog/women-creative-labs-undp-promotes-women-empowerment-through-creative-spaces