“The cultural level of any society on earth is determined by its attitude towards women.” Shavkat Mirziyoyev
In today’s era of globalization, gender equality has emerged as one of the most pressing issues worldwide. Gender Equality does not merely mean protecting women’s rights, but also ensuring that men and women have equal opportunities in society and that every individual can fully realize their potential.
The United Nations defines gender equality as a fundamental condition for human progress. The CEDAW – Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979) – and SDG 5 – Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls – are recognized as international guarantees for achieving gender equality.
In Uzbekistan, this issue has also been elevated to the level of state policy. In particular, two landmark laws were adopted on September 2, 2019, by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan:
- Law No. O‘RQ-561 “On Protection of Women from Harassment and Violence” (uz link)
- Law No. O‘RQ-562 “On Guarantees of Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men” (uz link)
These laws outlined priority directions for protecting women’s rights in the country.
State governance in ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men includes:
- The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
- The Commission on Gender Equality under the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan;
- An authorized official responsible for gender equality within state bodies;
- The duties of the authorized official are assigned to one of the deputy heads of each state body.
Today, women in Uzbekistan are achieving remarkable success in science, sports, culture, entrepreneurship, and politics. These achievements are the result of opportunities and conditions being created in the country. At the same time, gender equality ensures not only the interests of women but also the overall development of society. Indeed, an equal society is a sustainable and just society.
