Uzbekistan: protection of women and opportunities for them

Violence against women and girls undermines peace and stability in families. This entails huge costs for society in the fields of health, education, social protection, and justice. The solution lies in a robust response, including investments in violence prevention.

In our country, great attention is paid to combating violence against women and children. The Strategy "Uzbekistan - 2030" defines the tasks of forming a culture of rejection of harassment and violence against women in society, ensuring their rights and legitimate interests. In accordance with the National Strategy of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Human Rights, a number of legislative acts have been adopted, systematic work is being carried out in the field of women's protection, intolerance to harassment and violence. 
It is worth noting that Uzbekistan ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1995, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979.
The UN defines violence against women as any act of gender-based violence that causes or is likely to cause physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether in public or private life. 
One of the mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the obligations assumed to implement the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is the provision by the State parties of periodic reports on measures (legislative, judicial, administrative or other) taken to put into effect and implement. 
On February 15-16, 2022, Uzbekistan's sixth periodic report on the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was considered. As a result, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women provided concluding observations on the report of Uzbekistan.
In its concluding observations, the UN Committee noted concern and concern that there is a high level of gender-based violence against women in the State, including a sharp increase in cases of domestic violence during the isolation regime imposed in connection with COVID-19.
The National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan, with the participation of more than 40 relevant ministries and departments, has developed a draft National Action Plan for 2022-2025 to implement the final recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women following consideration of the sixth periodic report of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which was approved on December 19, 2022 by a joint resolution of the Kengash Legislative Chamber and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan. 
At the meetings of the Parliamentary Commission on Compliance with International Obligations of the Republic of Uzbekistan in the field of human rights under the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the implementation of the National Action Plan is systematically reviewed, the implementation of which is monitored by the National Center for Human Rights. 
The Strategy for Achieving Gender Equality in the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030 also defines measures to combat the elimination of violence against women.
In 2022, the Republican Commission on Enhancing the Role of Women in Society, Gender Equality and the Family approved a roadmap for the implementation of the provisions of the UN Security Council resolution "Women, Peace and Security" for 2022-2025, which defines tasks to prevent and combat discrimination, harassment and gender-based violence. 
In addition, in September 2019, the Law "On the Protection of Women from Harassment and Violence" was adopted, which defines the concepts and types of violence, authorized bodies for the implementation of relevant measures (local government, internal affairs bodies, educational institutions, health, labor, citizens' self-government, non-governmental non-profit organizations and other civil society institutions). 
In order to prevent harassment and violence against women and children, and improve the moral environment in families, the law "On amendments and additions to certain legislative acts of the Republic of Uzbekistan in connection with further improvement of the system of reliable protection of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of women and children" was adopted on April 11 this year. The document provides for responsibility for family (domestic) violence, harassment, harassment, forcing a woman to have an artificial termination of pregnancy, as well as not using the institute of reconciliation to force marriage. 
Within the framework of this law, an article has been included in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan providing for punishment for disclosing information that infringes on the dignity of the individual and reflects the intimate aspects of human life. 
In addition, a new article has been included in the Law "On the Protection of Women from Harassment and Violence", according to which a protective order will be issued by a criminal court for no more than one year. 
In order to prevent harassment and violence against women and protect their rights, in 2020, article 2061 was introduced into the Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Administrative Responsibility, providing for liability for failure to comply with the requirements of a protective order by a person who has committed harassment and (or) violence or is prone to commit them. 
The Republican Center for the Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Women and 28 regional and district centers are operating under the National Agency for Social Protection. One of their main tasks is to provide compatriots with emergency medical, psychological, social, pedagogical, legal and other assistance in an anonymous form to women, as well as those who have attempted their lives or are prone to commit suicide. All of this ultimately serves to prevent violence and end its terrible consequences.
Despite the hard work carried out in our country in this direction, violence against women remains a serious problem to this day. 
In his speech at the meeting of the Board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in July 2023 in Ferghana, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted that in some makhallas, the institute of activists on women's issues did not show the expected result. The Head of State instructed to create social service centers in each district within the framework of the established National Agency for Social Protection, working on the principle of "one window", mobile groups of psychologists, lawyers and social workers, as well as call centers for social support of women victims of violence. The task has also been set to expand the provision of legal and psychological assistance to women in difficult situations.
According to the Committee of Family and Women of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in seven months of 2023, the country issued 21,871 protective orders to women victims of violence. Of the reported cases, 18,526 (84.7 percent) occurred in families. According to 5,495 issued warrants, administrative or criminal liability was established and violated women's rights were restored.
Cases of domestic violence require a real, widespread and sustained impact, namely: 
• Develop and approve a national action plan that will be resourced and have clear cross-sectoral responsibilities;
• Ensure the provision of quality services targeted at women and girls affected by violence;
• Review approaches to work on combating domestic violence, introduce a mechanism that includes work not only with the victim, but also with the perpetrator of violence, and introduce special correctional programs for this purpose;
• Pay more attention to awareness-raising activities and the creation of social videos and banners that draw attention to the problem itself, as well as explaining the mechanism for protecting victims of violence and the like. 
Indeed, as UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay notes in her message on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women: "By fighting for women's rights, we contribute to the protection of human rights in general."
Dilbar Rashidova.
Chief Specialist of the Department of the National Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Human Rights.