The official launch of the EU-funded project “EU-Tabassum: Media Skills to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Young Women in Uzbekistan” took place at a conference held in Tashkent. The event saw participation from over 70 representatives, including officials from the government of Uzbekistan, EU Member State embassies, NGOs, international and donor organizations, as well as local media companies.
The initiative aims to enhance the skills of journalists, bloggers, and women's civil society organizations (CSOs) in gender-sensitive reporting, combating gender disinformation, and effective media campaigning. It will also provide grants of up to €4,000 to women’s and youth NGOs to help them create their own media messages, amplifying their perspectives and contributions to public discourse.
With a total budget of €500,000, the project is funded by the European Union and co-supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is implemented by DW Akademie, based in Germany, in collaboration with Uzbekistan's Modern Journalism Development Center (MJDC).
Toivo Klaar, Ambassador of the European Union to Uzbekistan, emphasized the EU's commitment to supporting women's rights and opportunities in Uzbekistan.
"The European Union stands with the women of Uzbekistan and supports their efforts towards equal rights and opportunities with men. Strengthening the capacity of NGOs in Uzbekistan and enhancing their ability to communicate important social issues to a broad audience is a significant step in this direction," he stated.
Amalia Oganjanyan, Project Director at DW Akademie, highlighted the initiative’s ambition and relevance, noting the limitations women face in public discourse.
"Even though the number of female participants in various public activities is always high, their ability to foster discourse on gender and participate in decision-making processes is limited. Tabassum addresses gendered disinformation, a global trend also relevant to Uzbekistan, that often forces women to withdraw from public spaces," she explained.
The project’s name, “EU-Tabassum,” translates to “smile” in Uzbek and symbolizes a shift towards positive representations of gender issues. Saida Sulaymanova, MJDC Project Director, elaborated on the project's objectives:
"We strive to improve gender literacy among journalists and bloggers, strengthen their capacity for constructive gender reporting, and support women’s CSOs in advocating for gender equality. This initiative aims to tackle outdated gender stereotypes that hinder the promotion of women’s rights and the fight against gender violence."
The European Union is committed to promoting sustainable development, human rights, and equality globally. DW Akademie, an international media development organization, focuses on strengthening freedom of expression and access to information, while MJDC, founded in 2018, advocates for media sustainability and quality journalism in Uzbekistan and Central Asia.
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