UNDP Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has achieved a degree of progress in promoting gender equality and empowering women in the last 15 years since its independence with the joint efforts of the government, civil society and international donor community. However, a number of issues remain unresolved and require systematic approach and continuing attention.

Favorable developments include the increase of women’s participation at the decision-making level. The amendments to the legislation on elections (introduction of 30% quota for women candidates to the parliament) provided opportunities for women to be elected to the legislative power resulting in the 18 % representation in the Legislative Chamber and 15% in the Senate. The remaining low percentage of women (3,4%) in executive power requires significant interventions to promote more women’s participation and empowerment.

Main areas of concern, include
• slow legislative reforms in a number of gender-related areas;
• lack of awareness among parliamentarians, law enforcement agencies, civil servants, social workers, youth and the general population of the Convention, the Committee’s recommendations and the issues raised in the recommendations;
• limited capacity of women’s NGOs;
• persistent patriarchal attitudes and cultural stereotypes;
• lack of reliable gender disaggregated statistics and data in a number of critical areas such as informal labor market and trafficking in human beings; and
• the low level of women’s participation in the formal economy.

The current project aims to support and build the capacity of the government, civil society and mass media in reducing the gender gaps via raising awareness of and implementing the recommendations of the CEDAW Committee to Uzbekistan and preparing timely reports on the progress to the Committee due for its next session in mid 2008. This will be done via enacting legislation, building national capacity to implement the existing and new legislation, raising awareness and organizing training courses on CEDAW areas, building capacity of the involved institutions and actors, enhancing research capacity, developing and lobbying related legislation, and mobilizing civil society.

PROJECT OUTPUT: The legislative and institutional capacity of the Government, civil society, and mass media is strengthened to promote women empowerment.

Activity 1: Supporting gender research and gender related statistics.
Activity 2: Development and improvement of gender-related legislation.
Activity 3: Capacity building of state agencies and civil society in implementation of CEDAW and empowerment of women. (Project organized workshops for NGOs, roundtable on CEDAW, training-of-trainers, summer school for journalists and announced contest for journalists to promote coverage of gender issues in media, as well as issued a publication on women in Uzbekistan (Publication)).
Activity 4: Highlighting gender issues in Welfare Improvement Strategy Paper