According to the World Bank, Uzbekistan is among the top five countries that has significantly advanced gender equality by introducing key reforms since October 2022. Recent efforts include improving access to financial and credit resources, with a presidential decree allocating $100mn towards vocational training and entrepreneurship for women in Uzbekistan.
A dedicated system has been established to assist women entrepreneurs in developing business projects, receiving training and monitoring project implementation. Despite these advancements, challenges remain particularly with regards to the gender pay gap. To overcome these challenges and further support women's entrepreneurship, discussions and efforts are needed on policy reforms, capacity building, access to markets, and advocacy for gender equality.
Chairwoman of the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbayeva emphasized the shifting societal norms regarding women's education and entrepreneurship. She highlighted a significant increase in the number of women entrepreneurs, which has doubled in recent years to exceed 200,000. Furthermore, Narbayeva noted that over half of university students are now female, highlighting the changing landscape of gender participation in education and business. This shift represents a departure from traditional stereotypes about women's roles and aspirations.
Gavhar Alimora, Member of the committee on Women and Gender Equality of the Senate of Oliy Majlis further highlighted during the panel discussion that women's participation in the government sector has increased by 32% over the past year. Despite this progress, challenges persist in women holding positions of power particularly due to societal reluctance to encourage women in leadership roles.
Acknowledging the issue of pay parity and strategies to ensure equal pay, Ayumi Moore Aoki Founder and CEO of Women in Tech Global France stated
“I think there needs to be a collaboration between the private sector and also government to make sure that there is no gender parity. I know in France, for instance around in March, all the big tech companies have to show, they have to put out in the media the gender score and how much everyone is paid. It has to be very transparent. And if there is a gender gap in the salaries then they have to pay a tax, a fine to the government. So they say to them, it's better for you to pay your women than to pay the government. So just make sure that you are paying your women correctly. Because women empowerment comes with financial independence and women need to be able to have equal rights and that comes primarily with equal pay”
The UN Under Secretary General and UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous emphasized the importance of prioritizing women's rights and leadership for achieving peaceful, sustainable, and prosperous societies. She highlighted positive developments in Uzbekistan and across the region. Uzbekistan has taken significant steps, including mandating equal pay for work of equal value and removing restrictions on women's employment in industrial jobs. These actions reflect a global trend towards more equitable labor laws.
Additionally, Corneliu Eftodi Regional Advisor on Gender Equity UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and Central Asia discussed the importance of having better fiscal policies as they create necessary conditions for building gender equal economies. UNDP's flagship program aims to improve public finance for gender equality in nearly 100 countries. The cooperation of parliaments is key to its success. The Parliament of Uzbekistan is actively involved in promoting women's economic empowerment and co-leading the UNDP Gender Equality SEAL for Public Institutions initiative in partnership with the Minister of Economy and Finance. This program aims to enhance gender equality practices within public institutions by providing frameworks and guidelines to assess and enhance gender equality policies. Through this initiative, Uzbekistan is setting an example for other countries in the region demonstrating commitment to institutional programs focused on gender equality and women empowerment.
The Central Asian Women’s Caucus established with the aim of addressing gender disparities and political representation in decision making was also brought to attention at the forum. The Caucus provides women leaders of Central Asia a platform to come together to advocate for policies, promote gender equality and women’s rights.
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