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uzbekistan proparco women entrepreneurs davr bank
Proparco provides Davr Bank with a senior debt up to USD 20 million to support its financing of individual entrepreneurs and microenterprises, and increase women’s access to the financial products offered by the bank, as part of the 2X Challenge.

Davr Bank, which was set up in 2001, is a dynamic private bank in Uzbekistan with a focus on the MSME segment, which remains underfinanced by the Uzbek banking sector. The operation involves a USD 20m (or UZS equivalent) senior credit line to help Davr Bank increase its loans to individual entrepreneurs and microenterprises, who are the backbone of the Uzbek economy.

Davr Bank holds strong commitments both internally and towards its clients in favor of gender inclusion. In that perspective, 30% of the funds will be dedicated to improving women’s access to the financial products offered by the bank. This transaction qualifies therefore for the 2X Challenge, an initiative between Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to support gender investments.

We are delighted to launch this new partnership with Davr Bank, a leading impact-driven bank in Uzbekistan, as part of the 2X Challenge initiative. This collaboration will empower the bank to enhance its support for individual entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises in Uzbekistan, with a special focus on women-led businesses, thereby generating significant positive impacts across the country. This project aligns with Proparco's strategic objective of "Contributing to the reduction of inequalities" by improving access to financing for underserved entrepreneurs” said Emmanuelle Riedel-Drouin, Head of Lending Operations at Proparco.

A.A. Samadov, Chairman of the Management of Davr Bank stated: “We are proud to begin our partnership with Proparco, which opens new opportunities to support individual entrepreneurs and microenterprises in Uzbekistan. This financing will allow us to significantly expand access to financial resources for small businesses — a key sector of the country’s economy. It is especially important that a substantial portion of the funds will be directed toward supporting women entrepreneurs. We are confident that creating favorable conditions for the development of women-led businesses will contribute to economic stability and sustainable growth. Davr Bank is consistently implementing a strategy to enhance financial accessibility and promote gender equality, and our partnership with Proparco will be an important step in this direction. We highly value Proparco’s support and believe that our joint efforts will lead to the successful implementation of impactful projects that will bring tangible benefits to Uzbek society and the national economy.”