Kanokpan Lao-Araya: Become the Best Version of Yourself
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is one of the world’s major financial institutions actively promoting gender equality in its operating countries. To achieve this, the bank has implemented various programs to support women’s businesses, develop social initiatives, and collaborate with governments to enhance women’s rights and reduce gender imbalances. In Uzbekistan, over 90% of ADB programs are directly or indirectly focused on advancing gender equality. The bank’s partnership strategy with the Government of Uzbekistan includes additional measures to support women in the country.
Kursiv talks with Kanokpan Lao-Araya, the Director of the ADB representative office in Uzbekistan, about the bank’s efforts to promote gender equality and the programs designed to assist Uzbek women.
Failures serve as life lessons
— Ms. Lao Araya, today, you hold a senior position in a large organisation like ADB. How challenging was it for you as a woman to achieve this success in your career?
— When examining statistics, we often find that there are typically more men than women in senior positions within large organisations or companies. However, from the very first day I joined ADB, I was confident in my ability to succeed in my career. This confidence stemmed from two key factors: first, I chose to work for an organisation that has a clear commitment to improving gender equality; second, I selected a job that I am passionate about and that brings me fulfilment, which continuously renews my inner drive, energy, and resilience in the face of adversity.
Throughout my career at ADB, I have never felt constrained by a glass ceiling. I have never given it much thought. Instead, I have dedicated my energy to self-improvement and personal development to become the best version of myself. This focus is the key to unlocking a powerful force within me that can shatter any glass ceiling I may encounter.
Of course, only some attempts to advance to higher positions within the bank have been successful. However, I have viewed these disappointments as valuable lessons, helping me gain experience and identify my weaknesses and shortcomings.
Fortune favours the brave
— In your opinion, what is the key to a woman’s successful career?
— Firstly, whether you are a man or a woman, it is essential to be enthusiastic about what you do and to feel that you are contributing to your community, city, country, or even the world.
Secondly, you need to have courage. This means having the strength to push the limits of your mental abilities and skills gradually. It’s important to be prepared to take risks and embrace new challenges. In many leadership positions, there tend to be more male than female applicants. Men often overestimate their capabilities, while women may underestimate themselves, causing them to miss valuable opportunities. This also limits the diversity of perspectives and management styles that benefit everyone.
When an opportunity arises, embrace it, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone to learn and grow. This brings me to my third point: you must be humble, open, and polite. It’s important to acknowledge that you don’t know everything and need help working alone in a large organisation. It would help if you had the support of everyone around you: your subordinates, colleagues, managers, stakeholders, and especially your family.
I would not have achieved what I have today without my family’s unwavering support. They have always understood my work, requiring me to travel extensively for over two decades. They witness my vulnerabilities and believe in me wholeheartedly, encouraging me to persevere and continue pursuing my passions, even when my job is demanding and stressful.
Objective №5
— Do you think attitudes towards women in business and work are changing globally?
— Yes, women’s participation is increasingly welcome, although unfortunately, some parts of the world lag in this development. But we still have a long way to go. We still need to work hard to achieve goal number five – ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ under the Sustainable Development Goals.
To give women employment and career opportunities, we must promote maternal health, support childcare, and develop access to education for young girls. To ensure gender equality and women’s empowerment, we must also encourage men to participate in the defence of a better and balanced world in which women have equal opportunities. After all, men are also fathers, brothers, husbands and sons to women, who should rejoice in our well-being.
Uzbekistan gains the lead
— How does the Asian Development Bank support women today? What programs are currently in place?
— As part of the 2030 Development Strategy, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed to ensuring that 75% of all its operations will promote gender equality by that time. Uzbekistan is leading in this effort, with 92% of all ADB projects and programs promoting gender equality as early as 2022.
Firstly, we are collaborating with the government to develop and implement programs that address the needs of women entrepreneurs. We aim to overcome challenges women-led businesses face, such as limited access to finance and high collateral requirements. Through ADB’s Small and Medium Enterprise Development Program, we strive to enhance the environment for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including women-led.
Secondly, we are providing support in the health sector. Our project aimed to improve primary healthcare in rural areas, including maternal and childcare services. These initiatives aim to ensure the availability of quality services for women, who are often more vulnerable to health and socio-economic impacts.
We also contribute to the economic education of women in rural areas by teaching them new agricultural practices and technologies. In the remote regions of Karakalpakstan, we are helping to establish multifunctional community complexes that provide maternal and child health services.
Finally, we plan to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for girls to open up career opportunities in high-growth sectors. ADB’s support for women in Uzbekistan aligns with its commitment to inclusive and sustainable development.
— How do you assess gender policy in Uzbekistan? What measures are needed in the country to support women?
— Uzbekistan has made significant strides in achieving gender equality. Recent amendments to the Criminal and Administrative Codes have criminalised domestic violence and established additional protective measures for women and children, representing an important step toward aligning with international human rights obligations. However, effective enforcement of these laws remains crucial.
There is still much work to be done. In the economic sector, efforts should focus on reducing the gender pay gap, eliminating occupational segregation, streamlining business regulatory processes, offering targeted financial products and services, and promoting digital literacy and online platforms. These initiatives can enhance the resilience and adaptability of women and girls in the face of economic challenges.
On the social front, it is essential to strengthen laws and enforcement mechanisms to protect women from violence, improve access to justice and support services, and provide comprehensive reproductive health education. Ensuring equal access to quality education for girls at all levels, particularly in rural areas, is also vital.
These areas can serve as priority actions for the government in the coming years. It is important to involve all stakeholders in developing and implementing effective strategies for women’s empowerment.
It’s not only men who ar involved in business
— How do you believe businesses can impact the development of women’s leadership?
— In several ways. Firstly, businesses can create a favourable environment for the advancement of women within the company. This includes having corporate policies in place to address gender asymmetries in the workplace and measures to attract qualified women, encouraging their participation in continuous learning and leadership activities. ADB supports enterprises in developing and implementing gender action plans. We encourage the government to introduce policies promoting women’s representation in state-owned enterprises’ management and supervisory boards. In 2021-2022, 108 women were elected board members of state-owned enterprises in Uzbekistan.
Second, enterprises can support women by developing products and services tailored to their needs. Credit quotas can also be established for companies owned and managed by women. To encourage businesses to work more with women, we have set a minimum threshold of project funding to support women-led businesses. This was initially met with resistance, but this requirement was eventually accepted.
The introduction of quotas has forced businesses and banks to look beyond traditional approaches, enabling them to find valuable customers who were previously overlooked. For example, as part of the Small Business Finance Programme 2017-2022, member bank
participants conducted women’s awareness campaigns and business development training. By the end of the programme, 30% of their customers were women, exceeding the initial target of 20%. The businesses supported ranged from a small shop in a village to a medical centre in a city. Women owned all of them.
And I want to emphasise that promoting women to leadership positions and providing credit is much more than just a position or funds. It is about suppressing invisible barriers and boosting the confidence and self-esteem of women themselves. For example, in a recent survey, a borrower from the Mortgage Market Sector Development Programme said owning a home made her feel incredibly proud, confident, and happy.
ADB works closely with the Government of Uzbekistan to promote the role of women in society and economic development. And in our new partnership strategy with Uzbekistan for 2024-2028, which is currently being developed, we are working to ensure that our programmes and investments support and empower women.
