Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 16 July 2020, a meeting of the Commission for Ensuring Gender Equality of the Republic of Uzbekistan was held in the form of videoconference.

The meeting, chaired by the Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, Chairman of the Commission on Ensuring Gender Equality of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva, was attended by senators, members of the Commission, officials of ministries and departments.

The meeting considered the work done by the Commission in the first half of 2020, as well as the activities of the Republican Center for the Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Persons Victims of Violence and the Prevention of Suicides.

It was noted that in the period from January to June 2020, the Commission carried out certain work to ensure gender equality and protect women from oppression and violence. Thus, an inventory of legislation was carried out for compliance with the standards of discrimination against women’s labor and business rights.

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the Regulation on the conduct of a gender legal examination of each draft normative legal act to be adopted in the country. All ministries and departments have established advisory councils on gender equality issues. Recommendations for establishing their activities were developed.

A draft Strategy for Achieving Gender Equality in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2020-2030 was developed, aimed at ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the socio-economic and political spheres. Currently, this Strategy is being coordinated with governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan is taking important measures to strengthen the position of women in society. This is evidenced by the fact that over the past two years senators and deputies have been elected from among women, ministers and heads of bodies, an ambassador and khokims have been appointed. Women have the ability to make decisions at a high level.

Members of the Commission also discussed the employment of women. In this direction, measures are outlined to be carried out within the framework of the tasks identified at a video conference held on 14 July under the leadership of the President of the country.

In response to the message of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres during the coronavirus pandemic, together with the Commission and the NGO Association, the Telegram social network launched the No Violence! Channel, the Helpline, and a video contest “How do we quarantine?”

During the meeting, some of the existing problems and shortcomings in the systematic establishment of the activities of the republican center for the rehabilitation and adaptation of victims of violence, and the prevention of suicides, their assistance to victims of oppression and violence were critically discussed, tasks related to revising the activities of these centers were identified.

There was also a presentation of a document developed by the Expert Working Group on the Development of Standard Operating Measures and reflecting the types of services that need to be provided in order to protect women victims of violence.

During the meeting, relevant proposals were made by the heads of the ministries of preschool education, health, culture, justice, internal affairs, family support and mahalla, as well as the NTRK and state organizations.