Empowering Women through Entrepreneurship and Cultural Heritage

As part of the “Promoting Women’s Employment in Ghukasavan, Getapnya, and Darakert” project, twelve women participants visited MISMA Embroidery Corner to meet Tsovinar Miskaryan, founder of Miskaryan Heritage—a women-led brand rooted in Armenian culture and craftsmanship.

Through this encounter, participants explored local pathways for women’s entrepreneurship. Tsovinar shared her personal journey of founding a successful business, highlighting how cultural identity can be a source of economic empowerment and global recognition. The session provided practical insights on brand development, product innovation, and market resilience.

“This meeting gave us a teacher whose story taught us to fight for our future,” shared Lilit Baburyan, a participant. “It was a rare opportunity to ask questions and receive real-world business advice.”

This mentorship opportunity built on earlier workshops where participants developed skills in acrylic design, applying them to items such as bags, shirts, and scarves—tapping into their creative potential and local cultural assets.

Developed through the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach, the project recognized and strengthened existing talents among rural women, fostering new livelihood opportunities.

Jointly designed by ArmeniaCorps participants from the three villages and implemented under the ArmeniaCorps Development Initiative with support from the US Department of State Public Diplomacy Section, the project contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).