COOPERATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GENDER POLICY DISCUSSED DURING THE DIALOGUE OF WOMEN OF CENTRAL ASIAN STATES

On the 6th of August 2021, the Dialogue of Women of Central Asian states was held in the National Tourist Zone “Avaza”. The event was timed to the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of States of Central Asia which is taking place in the same day on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea. 

The participants of the Dialogue, that is the Chairwoman of the Senate of Oliy Majlis  of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbayeva, Chairwoman of the Mejlis of the National Gengesh (Council) of Turkmenistan Gulshat Mammedova, Chairwoman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security of Mazhilis of Parliament of Kazakhstan Aigul Kuspan, Deputy Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of Kyrgyzstan Aida Kasymaliyeva and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Central Asia, the Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Natalia Gherman have arrived to the National Tourist Zone “Avaza” the day before to attend the representative Forum.       

At the opening ceremony, the Congratulatory Address of the Heads of States of Central Asia to the Dialogue of Women of Central Asian states was read.

Then the opening remarks were made by Gulshat Mammedova, Natalia Gherman and Tanzila Narbayeva who is chairing the Dialogue of Women of Central Asian states in the current year. The video message of the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, Assistant Administrator of UNDP, and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS Mirjana Spoljaric Egger was also heard.

Then the participants of the Dialogue made speeches at the plenary session on the topic of “Progress of implementation of the policy on attaining gender equality in Central Asia. The experience of regional cooperation”.  Noting the importance of inter-parliamentary ties between the countries of the region, they told about the activities taking place in the countries they represent on the achievement of the goals embedded in the Dialogue, that is rendering assistance to the women of the region on strengthening their role in political, economic and social spheres of life and involving them in the processes of adopting resolutions related to peace, stability and sustainable development in the region.      

The participants of the Dialogue exchanged views on expanding the partnership in the framework of the Dialogue.  In this context, the significance of cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies was noted.  

After the plenary session, the participants adopted the Declaration of the Dialogue of Women of Central Asian states.

Then the Address to the Heads of States of Central Asia on behalf of the participants of the Dialogue of Women of Central Asian states was read.  In the address, gratitude to the President of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan was expressed.  

After the event, the participants of the Dialogue took part in the Ceremony of Awarding the Honorable Sign of the Heads of States of Central Asia, and then took part in the rich cultural programme.  

Next year, the chairmanship in the Dialogue will pass to Turkmenistan and will be carried out by the Chairperson of the Mejlis of the National Gengesh (Council) of Turkmenistan.