Overview
The Providing Access and Resources for Women’s Online Networking & Advancement (PARWONA) initiative is part of the World Bank’s Elevating Global Access Through E-commerce (E-GATE) program. It seeks to boost women’s empowerment in Tajikistan.
Financed by the World Bank’s Umbrella Facility for Gender Equality, PARWONA adapts E-GATE’s proven regional model to Tajikistan to expand women’s economic participation and help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) grow through online sales. In its first phase in Tajikistan, the program will support about 50 women and 50 MSMEs.
PARWONA’s operating model is practical and two-sided. The program trains and places “Women E-commerce Managers” while onboarding or upgrading MSMEs on relevant marketplaces. Trainees work on real firm accounts and learn day-to-day marketplace operations (product content, photography, catalog health, order management, customer care, basic analytics, and, where relevant, cross-border compliance) across domestic platforms (e.g., LakLak.tj, Avval.tj) and export-oriented B2B channels (e.g., Alibaba.com). The program provides technical assistance and ecosystem facilitation rather than firm-level grants.
The PARWONA team leads implementation with Tajik business associations, marketplace operators and service partners, and, where helpful, training centers for recruitment and venues. Government counterparts are invited to play a steering role: supporting outreach and aligning with national SME and digitalization priorities. Outreach and selection of candidates for the program began in August 2025.
Partners
PARWONA is implemented by the World Bank in Tajikistan in strong coordination and collaboration with the Agency of Innovation and Digital Technologies; Ministry of Industry and New Technologies; Chamber of Commerce; Committee for Women and Family; National Association of SMEs; E-commerce Participants Association; AmCham; Skills Accelerator Ilmhona; Babilon Academy; as well as the marketplaces Alibaba.com, LakLak, and Avval.