The Asian Women’s Forum continues in Samarkand. It is dedicated to a regional approach to expanding women’s economic, social, and political rights and opportunities.

Representatives of international organizations are attending it – women deputies of parliaments of the countries of Eastern, Southeast, South Asia, and Central Asia, heads of government, representatives of representative offices of foreign countries in Uzbekistan, as well as local government bodies, and representatives of civil society institutions.

At the forum's opening ceremony, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women Sima Sami Bahous thanked the President of Uzbekistan for initiating the conference, noting that the event aimed at expanding women’s economic rights and opportunities was organized at a high level.

“Today, we live in challenging times”, said Ms. Sima Sami Bahous. “Women and children are the first to suffer from various crises and climate changes occurring in the world. According to the data, these consequences and poverty have now destroyed the lives of 158 million women. Climate change and various conflicts, in turn, affect the issue of gender equality. Currently, one in three women in the world experiences harassment and violence at home, in public places, at work, or in the media. Women’s participation in decision-making is still very low in some countries and societies. Working women also earn 20 percent less than men. Their working conditions, social protection, and guarantees of labor rights also do not meet the requirements. This has a direct negative impact on the lives of the 60 percent of women worldwide who work in the informal economy”.

The forum continues its work through panel sessions.

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G. Khasanov, photos by A. Isroilov, UzA