The Chair of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, Tanzila Narbaeva, spoke at the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York on March 11. The video of her speech is available on the organization's website (starting at 54:03).
The session's theme focused on accelerating gender equality and expanding women and girls' rights and opportunities through addressing poverty, strengthening mechanisms, and gender-responsive financing.
Narbaeva highlighted Uzbekistan's significant steps towards gender equality, emphasizing the country's shift towards empowering women through education, skills training, foreign languages, and the promotion of female entrepreneurship. She mentioned the adoption of over 40 legislative acts to enhance women's status in society and the establishment of a National Social Protection Agency to provide targeted assistance to women and girls.
Moreover, Uzbekistan was recently recognized by the World Bank for its progress in implementing gender equality reforms, including the criminalization of domestic violence in all its forms. Narbaeva expressed Uzbekistan's interest in expanding cooperation with UN member states to promote women's participation in societal and political activities.
She announced that Uzbekistan, in collaboration with UN Women, will host the Asian Women's Forum in Samarkand on May 13-14, aiming to facilitate knowledge exchange and support women's active involvement in governance and the economy.
Narbaeva also highlighted the collective efforts of Central Asian countries in promoting gender equality and enhancing economic opportunities for women and girls. She outlined common approaches in poverty reduction, education, digital literacy, legal aid, and budgetary policies with a gender perspective.
In conclusion, Narbaeva expressed hope that the proposals and recommendations put forward by Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan will be included in the final document of the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Research conducted by UNICEF in Uzbekistan from 2018 to 2020 revealed significant challenges, particularly for young women in education and employment. Gender disparities were evident in internet access and IT skills, with a higher percentage of women facing barriers in these areas. The study also highlighted the stigmatization faced by girls and young women in online spaces, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to address these issues.
