An inception workshop has been held on the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme "Support in implementation of inclusive agricultural policies". The event was organized for representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Association "Women of the Agricultural Sector" of Uzbekistan, as well as for other interested organizations. At the meeting, FAO experts told about the project goals and objectives.

FAO's Technical Cooperation Programme "Support in implementation of inclusive agricultural policies" will be implemented in Uzbekistan in 2020-2022. The total budget of the project is 100 000 USD. The project is aimed at improvement of rural livelihoods through inclusive policies in agriculture and rural women’s empowerment contributing to the achievement of national SDGs targets. The project implementation will enhance national capacity to formulate and implement socially inclusive policies in agriculture and rural development.

"Closing the gender gap in agriculture would generate significant gains for the agricultural sector and for society as a whole. Gender inequalities are reinforced by stereotypes of gender roles that give less visibility to women’s crucial contributions to agriculture. This is why investing in rural women represents investing in the critical agents of change for ending poverty and reaching food security for all, thus achieving the Sustainable Development Goals", - Sherzod Umarov, Officer in Charge for the FAO Representation in Uzbekistan stressed. 

The Chairman of the Association "Women of the Agricultural Sector" of Uzbekistan Adiba Akhmedjanova presented speech on "Issues of sustainable development of agriculture and food security in connection with gender policy in Uzbekistan”. It was emphasized that the Government of Uzbekistan is fully committed to advancing gender equality in the country as part of broader efforts to nationalize and achieve the SDGs. Over the last year, Uzbekistan has taken significant steps to institutionalize these efforts, by adopting equal rights and opportunities legislation, criminalizing domestic violence and refining the national machinery. Significant changes included the creation of the Commission on Gender Equality of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2019 under the Legislative Chamber and the Committee on Women and Gender Issues under the Senate.

Senior Gender and Social Protection Advisor Dono Abdurazakova of the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia made an overview of the project in her presentation. She told about the planned activities and the final results. The implementation of this project will be coordinated with the FAO Uzbekistan Gender Action Plan 2020-2022. Synergies and possibilities of joint activities and events were explored with the FAO implemented “Sustainable Management of Forests in Mountain and Valley Areas in Uzbekistan” project, which is recognized for its best practices in gender mainstreaming.

UzA