The National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan held a presentation of the new publication, “Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in Uzbek, Karakalpak, English, and Russian”, at the Human Rights House in Tashkent.

This event, dedicated to notable international anniversaries in women’s rights, celebrated both the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the 45th anniversary of the adoption of CEDAW.

According to the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, in his opening address, Akmal Saidov, Director of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights, underlined the significance of these historic milestones. He highlighted the adoption of the resolution Marking the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action during the 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council (September 9 – October 11, 2024). This resolution reaffirms the obligation of all states to ensure, promote, and protect the full and equal enjoyment of human rights by women.

Noting that it is no coincidence these anniversaries coincide, A. Saidov explained that the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, and the CEDAW Convention, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979, are cornerstones in the global campaign for gender equality and women’s rights.

During the presentation, Malika Kadirkhanova, a Senator working on a permanent basis in the Senate Committee on Youth, Women, Culture, and Sports Affairs, and Gulrukh Agzamova, Chairperson of the Committee on the Development of Democratic Institutions and Civil Society of the Legislative Chamber, delivered remarks on the importance of these international documents. They emphasized that efforts to ensure gender equality and protect women’s rights, freedoms, and legitimate interests are now more dynamic and wide-ranging in Uzbekistan than ever before.

Adopted on December 18, 1979, CEDAW formally entered into force on September 3, 1981, and today, 189 countries have ratified it – underscoring its global significance. The Convention outlines women’s civil, political, social, economic, and cultural rights, making it one of nine core UN human rights treaties.

In 1981, the UN established the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which reviews CEDAW’s implementation and issues recommendations that help States Parties strengthen national legislation and policies to achieve gender equality.

Uzbekistan ratified CEDAW on August 18, 1995, and its core principles are reflected in both national legislation and the 2023 Constitution. Articles 42 and 58 of the new Constitution address the prevention of women’s labor rights violations, ensuring decent living and working conditions for women and mandating that women enjoy equal rights and opportunities with men in all spheres of society.

Over 40 normative legal acts have been adopted in Uzbekistan to protect women’s rights comprehensively. Key legislation includes the Law “On Guarantees of Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men”, The Law “On the Protection of Women from Harassment and Violence”, and the Law “On the Protection of Reproductive Health of Citizens”.

These laws are complemented by various national strategies, such as the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, the Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy, the National Strategy on Human Rights, and the Strategy for Achieving Gender Equality in Uzbekistan by 2030. A special mechanism involving all executive authorities is in place to implement recommendations from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.

In recent years, Uzbekistan’s policies to increase women’s participation in socio-political life have yielded tangible results. For instance, 35% of public administration roles are now held by women. 38% of the newly elected deputies to the Legislative Chamber and 27% of the Senate are female. The number of women entrepreneurs rose by 37%, and hundreds of thousands of women received training in professional skills and entrepreneurship. The female student population in higher education institutions grew sixfold, and more than half of university students are now women.

Key international organizations, including the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and the World Bank, have acknowledged Uzbekistan’s progress in gender equality.

In 2024, Uzbekistan earned 72.8 points in the Gender Equality and Governance Index, climbing from 103rd place in 2022 to 52nd place in just two years. Moreover, in the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law index, Uzbekistan rose 48 positions to 91st out of 190 countries, recognized as one of the top five nations demonstrating the most significant strides in women’s rights and gender equality.

This year, Uzbekistan joins many other countries in marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. As part of these nationwide celebrations, the National Human Rights Center has begun hosting several events. The presentation of the multilingual CEDAW brochure was the first of these initiatives.

This newly published volume features the complete text of the Convention in Uzbek, Karakalpak, English, and Russian, making it accessible to a broad audience, including state and international organization specialists, lawyers, scholars, students, and all those interested in gender equality.

The primary goal of producing this brochure is to promote a better public understanding of the international standards on women’s rights. Disseminating and understanding the Convention’s provisions support its consistent application in Uzbekistan’s social and legal spheres.

During the event, experts underscored that reforms in human rights continue in the “New Uzbekistan” on a solid and systematic foundation and noted that ongoing efforts to promote gender equality enjoy widespread national, regional, and international support. They commended the government’s coherent and humane policies that have helped raise the protection of women’s rights to a new level.

Nazokat Usmanova, UzA