What we do

Central Asia is rich in nature and culture. In Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan we work with women farmer organisations, with water providers, with renewable energy cooperatives and with eco-tourism operators. The rural women’s organisations work on women’s economic empowerments and rights. The water providers set up water associations that plan and implement drinking water in villages where previously polluted surface water was used. The ‘home comfort’ program created resource centres, which are experts in renewable energy. Households and small companies get advice to install solar water heaters, and to save energy through insulation. Previously we also worked on programs in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and we continue to network and exchange with local women and environmental partners. We cooperate with local authorities, financial micro-credit cooperatives and United Nations agencies.

Focus areas

We have a network of rural women organisations in Kyrgyzstan that have created women’s rural cooperatives, and that are advocating for women’s rights and gender equality. As part of our Women2030 program our partners ALGA and YEC have interviewed over 1000 women and men in local communities to ask them about their situation, and priorities for sustainable development. The results are used to prepare alternative civil society reports for the Agenda2030 policy process at the United Nations. In Kyrgyzstan, the interviews showed that women focus is to ensure legality for both marriages and divorces, as the informal unions are leaving many women without any rights. Both in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan parents indicated they are worried about the lack of safe sanitation in rural schools, in particular for girls that lack menstrual hygiene management. In cooperation with the French towns and water agencies and entire village of almost 300 households installed a drinking water system, with a safe well, treatment, pipes and connections into the homes. Young parents are moving back into the village, now that there is drinking water. Water use has increased, some families even have installed washing machines. The resource centre is therefore also helping to treat the wastewater with affordable grey water soil filters. Eco-toilets and solar water heaters are also being promoted by the local partners. Cooperation with the micro-credit agencies and UN Environment is aiming at supporting eco-tourism in these villages, which are near the tourist area of the Issik-kul lake.

Countries

Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan

Partners

ALGA (Rural Women’s Organisation), Kyrgyzstan; KAWS (Kyrgyz Alliance for Water and Sanitation), Kyrgyzstan; BIOM (Environmental experts), Kyrgyzstan; BT Innovation, Kyrgyzstan; Raiffeisen Micro Credit, Kyrgyzstan; Youth Environment Centre YEC, Tajikistan; Eurasia Foundation Central Asia; GERES Tajikistan; Central Asian Sustainable Tourism Assocation; UN Environment Central Asian office; ASDP NAU (Tajikistan); Little Earth (Tajikistan)

Donors