As part of ongoing efforts to enhance the competitiveness of farmers and small businesses in Azerbaijan, the “Promoting Green Deal Readiness in the Eastern Partnership Countries” (PROGRESS) and “Digital Transformation of Small and Medium-sized enterprises in Eastern Partnership countries” (DT4SME) projects have jointly launched a digital capacity-building initiative for rural women farmers and entrepreneurs. The programme responds to findings from the PROGRESS “Capacity Needs Assessment,” which identified limited digital literacy among rural SMEs as a key barrier to market integration and economic diversification.

The initiative focuses on women-led cooperatives, particularly those involved in persimmon production under the Azerbaijan Rural Women’s Association (ARWA), and aims to strengthen practical digital literacy, ICT skills, and access to online agricultural services. Training content was developed following a digital needs assessment and was continuously refined based on participant feedback.

In October 2025, hands-on training sessions were delivered in the Zagatala and Balakan regions, addressing critical gaps in access to digital tools, finance, and modern farming inputs.

The programme achieved the following results:

• 26 women farmers trained, significantly improving their ability to use digital tools in daily farming and business activities;

• Active registration and use of key e-agriculture platforms including e-Agro, Yonca, TapAgro, and others;

• Enhanced digital branding and storytelling skills, helping women farmers increase product visibility and online sales;

• Development of Digital and Financial Action Plans tailored to the needs of participants, supporting better cost management, market access, and business planning.

The initiative also highlighted broader challenges faced by rural women, including limited access to finance, storage facilities, and modern agricultural machinery. By combining digital literacy training with financial education and improved market linkages, the activity represents an important step toward empowering rural women in Azerbaijan.

Building on its success, the initiative aims to scale this model to additional regions, contributing to more inclusive, climate-resilient, and green economic development across the country.