Foreign Experience in Developing Women’s Entrepreneurship and Opportunities for Adapting it to the Conditions of Uzbekistan: Problems and Solutions

Women’s entrepreneurship has become one of the central drivers of inclusive economic growth, yet a persistent gender gap continues to constrain its potential worldwide. This article examines leading foreign models of supporting women’s entrepreneurship — group-based microfinance in Bangladesh, growth-oriented and digital ecosystems in the OECD and East Asia, self-help-group networks in India, and the policy frameworks promoted by the OECD’s Global Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy Network — and assesses the opportunities for adapting them to the conditions of Uzbekistan. Drawing on a comparative analysis of secondary data from the UNDP, the World Bank, the OECD, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan, the study maps the structural barriers facing Uzbek women entrepreneurs — limited access to finance, the burden of unpaid care work, skills and digital gaps, weak networks and socio-cultural norms — against the international solutions most likely to address them. The article concludes with a set of context-sensitive policy recommendations for Uzbekistan, including a women-focused financing architecture, care-infrastructure investment, sector-specific and digital skills training, and structured mentoring networks.