The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the  State Committee for  Family, Women and Children Affairs had a meeting  on February 15, 2021 the within the framework of Private Sector Development Project. Opportunities for cooperation with the State Committee for the implementation of the project were discussed at the meeting. Welcoming the guests, Mrs. Sadagat Gahramanova,  Deputy Chairman of the State Committee, stressed the importance of economic empowerment of women and spoke about the activities of the Women's Resource Centers, established in cooperation with the State Committee and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and USAID. She noted that about 6,000 rural women living in Baku, including different regions of the country, have benefited from the projects implemented by the Centers, which currently operate in 9 regions, and as a result, hundreds of new businesses have been established.

Mr. Elsever Guliyev, manager of Business Environment Development of the Private Sector Development Project, emphasized that USAID attaches special importance to women's development in all projects and  said that it played an important role in increasing women's economic participation.

Mrs. Shalala Kamilova, the head of the "Women in Associations" component of the Private Sector Development Project gave detailed information about the project. The main goal of the project, which will last for 3 years from 2020, is to create jobs for women living in the regions, strengthen them economically and increase their incomes. It was noted that training and mentoring programs will be implemented in cooperation with other relevant government agencies, women's associations, business organizations, various local and international experts, including the State Committee.

The meeting was also attended by Mrs. Sabina Manafova, Head of the International Relations and Protocol Service Department of the State Committee, Mrs. Sabina Talishinskaya, Deputy Head of the Women Problems and Gender Issues Department, and Mrs. Taliya Ibrahimova, Head of the Legal Support Department.