Asian development bank

1. Civil Society Organizations

Uzbekistan legally guarantees respect for the rights and interests of nongovernment organizations (NGOs), religious organizations, and other civil society organizations.¹⁵ Founded in 2005 and managed by a parliamentary commission and NGOs, the National association of Non-Governmental Non-profit Organizations of Uzbekistan is among the largest NGOs in the country; it brings together over 150 leading national and regional civil institutions to implement the democratic transition.¹⁶

the association and other civil society participants supported over 1,000 NGOs in 2014–2017.

Women’s organizations (self-identified women’s public associations) compose 7% of NGOs in Uzbekistan.¹⁷ In 2017, a total of 595 (6.8%) women’s organizations, focused mostly on social support, health care for women and their families, disability services, sports development, and improvement of the legal culture of women and the general population, registered with the Ministry of Justice, (footnote 17).

Women account for almost half of the membership of Uzbekistan’s four political parties.¹⁸

all parties have female factions that concentrate on improving women’s activism, nominating women to representative bodies during central and local elections, and enhancing women’s role in decision making. the close collaboration between political parties and the WCU is based on joint plans of action and memorandums of cooperation.

1. Overview of International Commitments

Uzbekistan has acceded to more than 60 international treaties on human rights, joined several international institutions, and participated in conventions committed to the promotion of gender equality and the protection of women’s rights.¹⁹ In fact, the government ratified all International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions related to equal rights for men and women and incorporated them in the Labor Code and the Law on employment of population.²⁰

¹⁵ Supreme assembly. 2004. On Non-Government Non-Commercial Organizations (Law No. 25). tashkent. http://www.lex.uz/pages/Getact.aspx?lact_id=10863.
¹⁶ National association of Non-Governmental Non-profit Organizations of Uzbekistan. n. d. General information. tashkent. http://ngo.uz/index.php/en/biz-a-imizda/znntma-a-ida-umumij-ma-lumot-2
¹⁷ Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan. 2017. Women’s Organizations in Uzbekistan. Presentation of at the Forum of Non-profit Organizations. tashkent. p. 4.
¹⁸ United Nations economic and Social Commission for asia and the pacific (UNeSCap). [1995]. National Review of the Implementation of the provisions of the Beijing declaration and platform for action 1995 and Gender equality
and Women’s empowerment. Bangkok. http://www.unescapsdd.org/files/documents/Beijing20_national_review
_Uzbekistan.pdf.
¹⁹ these are the Universal declaration of Human Rights (1948); the International Covenant on Civil and political Rights (1966); the International Covenant on economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966); the Convention for the Suppression of the traffic in persons, Convention on the political Rights of Women (1952); the Convention on the Nationality of Married Women (1957); Convention on the elimination of discrimination against Women (1979); and the Beijing declaration and platform for action (1995). Other international instruments adopted by Uzbekistan include the Convention against torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (1984); the Fight against discrimination in education (1960); and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990).
²⁰ International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions ZH100 (1951) On Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value (ZH100 of 1951); On Protection of Motherhood (ZH103 of 1956); On discrimination in Respect of employment and Occupation (ZH111 of 1958); and On employment policy (ZH122 of 1964) .
6 Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Update
In 1995, Uzbekistan ratified the United Nations Convention on the elimination of all Forms of discrimination against Women (CedaW). the UN CedaW Committee endorsed and published its conclusions in successive national reports in 2001, 2006 (combining the second and third reports), and 2010. to address the issues raised by CedaW, the government approved successive national action plans (Naps). Key positive aspects resulting from Nap implementation include legislative reforms, particularly the adoption of amendments to article 47 of the administrative Code (2013) that criminalize anything that prevents children from receiving compulsory secondary education or secondary specialized vocational training. a special Nap (2015) combats trafficking in persons.

the Fifth National Report was submitted to the CedaW Committee in February 2014, and the Concluding Observations of the Committee were released on 20 November 2015. On 10 October 2017, the Cabinet of Ministers endorsed the most recent Nap addressing the CedaW recommendations.²¹ Key areas of concern include (i) the lack of an adequate

mechanism for monitor and ensuring accountability for gender equality; (ii) the still-pending status of a draft law on equal rights and opportunities, and a draft Law on Measures of domestic violence, which have received sporadic consideration by parliament since 2000; (iii) persistent stereotypes regarding traditional roles in the family and society; (iv) weak implementation and limited understanding of temporary special measures; (v) women’s low participation rate in political and public life and decision making; (vi) the lack of sex-disaggregated data collection and monitoring mechanisms; and (vi) the situation of women in rural areas.
to accelerate the resolution of some of these concerns, the WCU developed a series of legal documents in 2017, now pending endorsement by the president. these include the following

• the draft law On Measures of Strengthening the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan, to improve its branches and activities;

  
  

• a draft program of action, to enhance women’s role in state and public construction, strengthen women’s social protection, and promote women’s advancement in the political, socioeconomic, and cultural spheres of society; and

  
  

• a draft program of action for 2017–2021, intended to protect maternal and child health and also ensure women’s employment, especially in relation to living conditions and way of life.

  
  

In 2008 and 2013, the United Nations Human Rights Council considered the first and second National Reports of Uzbekistan under its Universal periodic Review (UpR) regarding the fulfillment of international obligations related to human rights, including women’s rights. the 2013 UpR report notes with satisfaction that (i) Uzbekistan has criminalized domestic violence under its administrative laws; (ii) the average age of marriage for women is increasing on account of mandatory education and training; and (iii) basic legal and formal institutions have been established to prevent trafficking in persons, especially women and children.²²

²¹ data provided by the WCU to adB in November 2017, during data gathering for this CGa update.
²² Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2013. Universal Periodic Review: Uzbekistan. Geneva. http://www.ohchr.org/eN/HRBodies/UpR/pages/UZIndex.aspx. paras. 91, 92, and 133 reflect the observations of UpR Working Group members on domestic violence, increased average age of marriage, and prevention of trafficking in persons.
Introduction 7
the UpR report nonetheless contains many recommendations, including (i) to enable access to high-quality health services and higher levels of education; (ii) combating traditional attitudes toward women’s roles in family and society; (iii) creating equal opportunities for women in the labor market and generating more jobs for women; and (iv) reinforcing good work attitude toward improving maternal and child health and supporting the family.²³

the next state report to UpR was due in February 2018. to comply with the concluding observations of the UpR, Uzbekistan adopted the UpR Nap for 2014–2016, which contained 92 measures for implementation by the government, educational institutions, NGOs, and the media.²⁴ the UpR recommendations are partially included in the Nap on the CedaW. Box 1 summarizes the Nap on gender equality actions for 2014–2016.

Box 1: Uzbekistan National Action Plan, 2014–2016

• adopting the National program on employment for 2015–2016.

  
  

• Ratifying International Labour Organization Convention No. 189 (2011) on decent Work for domestic Workers.

  
  

• Strengthening the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan by providing the necessary human, financial, and technical resources to ensure the coordinated implementation of gender policies and commitments.

  
  

• developing a comprehensive strategy for eliminate traditional practices and stereotypes of a discriminatory nature against women.

  
  

• accelerating the endorsement of the draft Law on equal: On equal Rights and Opportunities of Women and Men.

  
  

• establishing and regularly maintaining a database on the situation of women, including rural women, reflecting their contribution to the socioeconomic and political development of the country.

  
  

Some UpR Nap measures have been successfully implemented. For instance, Uzbekistan ratified the relevant international conventions and protocols and responded to 36 requests from the UN’s Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons.²⁵

Uzbekistan has made considerable progress in preventing early marriage, largely through the joint efforts of state and non-state players. In 2012–2014, outreach interventions by the

Ministry of Justice prevented 1,692 early marriages and 1,352 marriages between close relatives.

²³ “Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2013. Universal Periodic Review: Uzbekistan.
Geneva. http://www.ohchr. org/eN/HRBodies/UpR/pages/UZIndex.aspx. paras. 26, 27, 28, 30, 37, 46, 49, 51, 59, 73, 80,
86, 87, 91, 92, 133, and 134 reflect the concerns and recommendations of Universal periodic Review (UpR) Working Group members on access to high-quality health and education services, opportunities for women in the labor market, and traditional stereotypes regarding the roles of women in family and society.
²⁴ Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2013. Universal Periodic Review: Uzbekistan. Geneva; National Center for Human Rights. 2014. National Action Plan on Implementation of the Recommendations of the Human Rights Council (HRC) and International UN Treaty Bodies (2014–2016). tashkent.
²⁵ Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2013. Universal Periodic Review: Uzbekistan. Geneva. paras. 53, 54, and 92. http://www.ohchr. org/eN/HRBodies/UpR/pages/UZIndex.aspx.
8 Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Update
the WCU, the Makhallya Foundation, and the Kamolot Youth association prevented the registration of more than 1,000 early marriages and 799 marriages between close relatives.²⁶

through diverse interventions, the WCU has countered traditional stereotypes related to the roles of women and men in the family and in society. For instance, in 2017 a public institution, the assembly of Mothers-in-Law (Kaynonalar Kengashi) under each makhallya provided social and psychological aid to 3,113 families in difficult life situations. about 6,000 families reconciled and 5,376 mothers were paid alimony (footnote 3).

However, WCU outreach does not address the professional choices and segregation of women in the labor market, and lacks programs that attract young women and girls to traditionally

non-female sectors, resulting in gender disparity. Further, the WCU’s long-term strategy should include structured, comprehensive, and systematic interventions to combat traditional stereotypes.

²⁶ UN Convention on elimination of all Forms of discrimination against Women (CedaW) Committee. 2014. 5th Periodic Report of Member States: Uzbekistan. Geneva. paras. 280–285.

1.