UNIFEM involvement in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea goes back over ten years to our initial support for women cottage industry workers who, because of age, family or ill health, could not work full-time in a regular factory.

This project grew into support for the Pyongyang Women's Garment and Trading Centre, which has become the flagship development model for women-led business enterprises in the DPR Korea. The PWGTC is the only women's cooperative with a foreign currency bank account and direct interactions with overseas clients. The Centre reported a profit of over US$100,00 in 2002, which they are reinvesting in other women's enterprises.

UNIFEM support, enlisting private sector expertise, helped the women running the PWGTC understand the highly competitive international garments trade. Please see our Gender resources page for more on this and other UNIFEM Best Practice projects.

For more information on past projects please see our country projects list.