On June 9 and 10, 2021, a master class/training on "Handicraft skills and entrepreneurship development among women in rural areas" is being held in the Chimbay district of Karakalpakstan. Over the two-day course participants will learn how to use natural materials for making products from reeds and straw, in the best national traditions of the region, that will also be covered by the organizers.

By the way, reeds, as well as straw, made it possible to create interior items, clothing items, bags, shoes, hats, and served as the basis for building material for many centuries. Today, the use of environmentally friendly products is again relevant and is widely used among designers, fashion designers, architects, builders.

The interest in learning a new craft and its further use as a source of income generation has become an incentive for the organization of trainings, master classes, which will also be held in the Bozatau and Karauzyak districts of Karakalpakstan. In total, there are 45 residents of three districts among the participants willing to master the secrets of traditional crafts, as well as to learn the basics of entrepreneurship.

The main advantages of the master class are a unique combination of individual work, the creation of classic products with the use of a modern design vision, the possibility of a wide application of creative potential, both at the stage of defining sketches and in the manufacture of finished products. During the sessions, participants will be given recommendations on how to run their own business, sell finished products, attract potential customers, and find sales channels.

The empowerment of women and their active participation in the economic life of the region is one of the important factors for improving the well-being of the local population.

The event was organized within the framework of the UNDP and UNFPA Joint Programme on "Building the resilience of local communities against health, environmental and economic insecurities caused by environmental destruction in the Aral Sea region", funded by the Government of Japan. This programme promotes the principles of gender equality, as well as supports initiatives to empower women and girls.