Discussion on legal strategies to prevent femicide

The National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan hosted an international roundtable on “Legal mechanisms for preventing femicide: from international standards to national practice”.

The event brought together representatives of government bodies, international organizations, the judiciary, law enforcement agencies, the academic community and civil society institutions.

The event was organized by the National Human Rights Center of the Republic of Uzbekistan jointly with the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, UN Women, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Dilnoza Muratova, Deputy Director of the National Human Rights Center of Uzbekistan, opened the event by highlighting that preventing violence against women is a top priority in the country’s human rights policy. In 2025, the mandatory reconciliation period in divorce cases involving violence was eliminated, and in March of that year, the President issued a decree to systematically combat violence against women.

The roundtable particularly focused on global strategies to prevent gender-based killings of women.

Lara Scarpitta, OSCE Senior Adviser on Gender Issues and Head of the Gender Issues Programme in the Office of the OSCE Secretary General, highlighted the need for a comprehensive strategy to prevent gender-based violence. This approach should focus on enhancing legislation, creating an effective prevention system, ensuring reliable data collection, and fostering stronger cooperation among agencies.

The event highlighted Uzbekistan’s national efforts to prevent violence against women, including practices from internal affairs, the prosecution service, and the judiciary, as well as the role of civil society organizations in supporting women impacted by violence.

Following the roundtable, the importance of continuing cooperation among the Republic of Uzbekistan, the OSCE, UN Women, and other international partners was emphasized.

Nazokat Usmanova, UzA