CAREC Program announces plan to create Gender Climate Network 

The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program today announced its plan to create a CAREC Gender Climate Network that will convene gender and climate experts in forums and mentorship programs.

In her keynote address at the CAREC Women’s Business Forum (WBF) in Astana, Ms. Lyaziza Sabyrova, ADB Regional Head for Regional Cooperation and Integration in the Central and West Asia Department, emphasized the importance of nexus between gender equality and climate change. She also called for innovative actions to shape a gender inclusive and climate resilient future in the CAREC region.

Ms. Sabyrova stated that through gender-based impact analysis, thoughtful policy assessments, targeted training, capacity-building initiatives, and community-based engagement, we can empower women who often have less voice and limited access to resources than men.

“We must use every opportunity to amplify women’s voices in climate-resilience efforts and to highlight the intersectionality of gender and climate issues for a more just and equitable transition. Together, we have the power to forge a more equitable and sustainable future—a world where everyone can thrive, irrespective of gender,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ms. Zulfia Karimova, Principal Regional Cooperation Specialist at ADB and lead of CAREC’s gender team made the announcement about the Gender Climate Network at the WBF. The network will be organized under the existing CAREC Women’s Empowerment Online Platform (WEOP), a comprehensive and user-friendly digital space that aims to empower women across the region by providing capacity development resources, opportunities for networking, and knowledge sharing.

“Our discussions in this Forum have underscored the power of regional cooperation and ongoing collaboration in driving meaningful change. In this spirit, we are excited to introduce a new initiative under the CAREC WEOP—the CAREC Gender Climate Network. This innovative platform will feature an expert series and mentorship programs, showcasing inspiring leaders from across the CAREC region who are committed to advancing gender and climate initiatives,” Ms. Karimova said in her closing remarks.

“While still in development, the CAREC Gender Climate Network has the potential to become a vital resource for promoting gender-transformative climate action across our region. Your engagement and support are crucial to making this initiative a success, and we are excited to partner with each of you on this journey. Together with the CAREC WEOP, these efforts reaffirm our commitment to building a more inclusive, resilient, and prosperous future for all,” she added.

WBF spotlights gender-transformative climate actions

At the WBF, experts in the fields of gender and climate resilience have discussed ways to advance gender-transformative climate actions.

The forum was divided into four sessions. In Session 1, Ms. Danara Saranova, President of the Association of Shymkent Access Alumni, Ms. Jane Zhang, Country Representative of the Asia Foundation China Country Office, Ms. Natalia Idrisova, Climate Consultant Trainer on Energy Efficiency, Clean Transportation, and Eco-Activism, and Ms. Oktyabrina Tsikoridze, Board Member of the Woman and The World, discussed gender-transformative climate actions and the importance of conveying climate and gender messages through effective communication strategies. Mr. Ramazan Zhampiissov, General Director of EcoSolutions and Advisor to the General Director of the ECOJER Association, moderated the session.

In Session 2, Mr. Bayarsaikhan Otgonbayar, Chair of the Gender Committee of the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Association and Head of International Banking Department of Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia, Ms. Lyazzat Ibragimova, Chair of the Housing Construction Savings Bank of Kazakhstan JSC, Ms. Malika Abdulvasieva, Gender and Social Development Expert at EU/NTU International, and Ms. Nurzat Abdyrasulova, President of Unison Group, explored ways to support sustainable and green financing for women entrepreneurs. Mr. Kanat Sultanaliev, Executive Director of the Tian Shan Policy Center, American University of Central Asia, moderated the discussion.

For Session 3, Ms. Jill Tang, Founder of She Rewires, Ms. Kamola Sobirova, Advisor to the Minister of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ms. Leyla Seyidzade, Women in TECH Ambassador for Azerbaijan, and Ms. Manzil-e-Maqsood, CEO at Oxbridge Innovative Solutions, talked about empowering women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). Ms. Samantha Hung, Director of the Gender Equality Division at ADB, moderated the session.