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Aigul Asakaeva

Businesswomen's Networks Asia and the Pacific Islands

In the Kyrgyz Republic, the minimal social assistance that families and women received during the Soviet era has been almost entirely eliminated since independence. The lack of state support for families, and women in particular, has led to a spiral effect of family disintegration and poverty, which Aigul Asakeeva refuses to ignore.

As the managing director of CAIConsulting, Aigul recognizes the importance of public sector reforms, institutional development and capacity building to strengthen governmental organizations and assist transitional economies. For Aigul, however, positive social change transcends political and economic transformation.

In 2006, she began speaking with women who strive for success in business and government in an atmosphere of mistrust, discrimination and uncertainty. What began as a few discussions gradually became the Central Asian Business Women’s Association (CABWA) — a community of professional women who are united by their common wish to live in a prosperous country of equal rights and opportunities. The women are bonded by a dedication to socially-aware and socially-responsible entrepreneurship.

Aigul’s country is not yet the nation of equality and unity that she hopes for, but together with the women of CABWA, she is pursuing social and economic reforms to make her dreams for Kyrgyzstan a reality. 

Quotes

 “We are united in our common wish to live in a prosperous country where all people have equal rights and opportunities.”

 “We started to develop business ideas together, to share our knowledge and skills, and trust each other.”

 “We found that we had all, at some time, encountered similar experiences of discrimination and violation of our rights just because we are women.”