17:50 / 12.12.2025

Women's Business Activity Declines by 30 Percent Due to Family Responsibilities

Women’s business activity decreases by 30% due to family obligations

Unequal distribution of family obligations and life events can decrease the business activity of women entrepreneurs by nearly 30%. This was disclosed by Zsuzsanna Hargitai, Managing Director for Central Asia at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), during the plenary session on “Unlocking Women’s Potential.”

Hargitai highlighted the significant differences in how life events impact men and women in business. “It seems as if ‘something’ is always happening in women’s lives,” she remarked.

According to her, marriage, motherhood, and other caregiving responsibilities negatively affect businesses led by women. Citing research conducted in Morocco, Hargitai stated that major life events can reduce women’s business activity by 27–30%.

She also noted that financial tools alone are insufficient to address systemic issues, particularly the caregiving burden that disproportionately falls on women. The plenary session, titled “Unlocking Women’s Potential: The Strategic Value of Non-Financial Services,” emphasized the need for broad support systems essential for sustainable business development.

Representatives from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, including KMF Bank, Hamkorbank, and entrepreneur Mariya Portnova, spoke during the session. They confirmed the importance of non-financial services alongside credit provision. These include training programs, mentorship, consultancy, and support in accessing new markets, which help women overcome regulatory barriers and ensure the long-term development of their projects.

Despite ongoing structural challenges, financial institutions have emphasized that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) led by women remain a promising and fast-growing sector. Arif Ali, CEO of Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank (KICB), revealed that with EBRD support, the bank launched its first lending program specifically for women in 2021.

Since then, KICB has allocated over $200 million in loans to women, mobilizing $600 million in credit resources. According to Ali, women currently constitute 44% of KICB’s clientele and contribute 33% of the bank's income.

“Focusing on women is a critical part of our strategy. It is not a secondary direction,” he stated, adding that such programs have a direct impact on improving local economies and the stability of family incomes.