UN Women and ACWA Power Uzbekistan have signed an agreement to promote women’s empowerment, the first collaboration between a UN agency and a private company in Uzbekistan. Under the 12-month partnership, ACWA Power will contribute $50,000 to support initiatives under UN Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) programme.

The initiative will advance women’s participation in education and the workforce through gender equality training, leadership development, and the creation of a pilot Gender Equality Curriculum at Shirin College. It will also include capacity-building on gender-based violence prevention and a national Women’s Empowerment Forum. Launched in Uzbekistan in May 2025 to support Uzbekistan’s gender equality and women’s empowerment goals, UN Women will provide technical expertise and training, while ACWA Power, the biggest investor in renewable energy in Uzbekistan, will oversee implementation and funding.

This collaboration aligns with Uzbekistan’s national reform priorities, including the Strategy for Achieving Gender Equality until 2030 and the National Programme for Increasing the Activity of Women in Economic, Political and Social Life (2022-2026). Both aimed to ensure equal opportunities and greater representation for women in education, governance, and the economy.

“Partnering with UN Women allows us to advance concrete initiatives that promote safer workplaces, fairer opportunities, and stronger representation of women in Uzbekistan”, said Dr. Jon Zaidi, Country General Manager of ACWA Power Uzbekistan. “By investing in training, curricula, and leadership development, we aim to help embed practices that benefit institutions, companies, and communities alike”.

“This partnership demonstrates how private sector engagement can accelerate progress on gender equality”, said Ceren Guven Gures, Head of the UN Women Central Asia Liaison Office and Representative of the UN Women Kazakhstan Country Office. “With ACWA Power’s support, we will expand opportunities for women and strengthen protections in education and the workplace”.

The agreement underscores the evolving relationship between international organizations and the private sector and highlights how these strategic partnerships can accelerate Uzbekistan’s reform agenda.

Aziza Alimova, UzA