Gender and Development

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Kyrgyz Republic

Professional Development in Vocational Training Institutions — Women’s League of Creative Initiative

Background of the project

Economic recession, unemployment, the sharp increase in food prices, and the reduction in affordable medical and social services in the Kyrgyz Republic have put many women in a grim socioeconomic position. Handicraft production provides an important source of income for many women and their families; in fact, the industry is dominated by women who produce felt and textile items, floor and wall carpets, and traditional clothes. Men constitute only around 20% of handicraft workers and are concentrated in areas such leather manufacturing, woodworking, and metal processing . Women's greater involvement in handicraft production is also evident in enrolments in craft-related vocational institutions where the majority of students are females between the ages of 16 and 30. The majority of these trainees come from economically vulnerable backgrounds, for example, where family members are collective farmers, pensioners, or unemployed.

Unfortunately, many of the teaching staff in vocational training institutions have no access to professional development. Consequently, they have little or no understanding of the role of vocational education in national development nor of issues such as quality assurance and efficiency. To help overcome the lack of skills in these areas, the nongovernment organization (NGO) Women's League of Creative Initiative conducted a series of training workshops directed at the mostly female staff of vocational institutions.

Project Objectives and Components

The primary objective of the project was to give employees of vocational education institutions basic professional development training in order to increase the efficiency and quality of their teaching.

Training was provided in line with the following objectives:

• to understand the development and nature of vocational education in the Republic
• to identify those factors (social, economic, and political) most affecting the local and national environment
• to extend participants' understanding and knowledge of their spheres of work
• to improve the quality of their work and to take responsibility for their ongoing professional development

Outcomes of the Project

During the project, four 2-day training workshops were held in six regions across Kyrgyzstan. Overall, 42 staff members from 22 vocational institutions attended including:

• 14 participants (seven women and seven men) from the regions of Osh, Batken and Jalal-Abad
• 12 female staff members from Issyk-Kul Region
• 15 participants (12 women and 3 men) from Naryn Region
• 11 female staff members from Biskek City and Chui Region

Feedback from the participants was very encouraging. They enjoyed the interactive method of training modeled during the workshop and were keen to discuss the use of such methods as a way to encourage greater creativity and interest among their students. Several interactive and analytical teaching methods were explored such as small group work, role playing, and brainstorming. Participants actively drew upon their own teaching experiences and teaching methods to evaluate the techniques.

In terms of the more general discussion of key social, economic, and political issues facing the Kyrgyz Republic, participants noted the need for marketing and business skills. Most of the participants were trainers in the craft and handicraft area. They saw the potential to develop crafts and handicrafts in connection with tourism and through the expansion of local and foreign markets. They called for further investment in training in the areas of

1. small business development including marketing and financial management
2. computer literacy and information technology
3. foreign languages

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