Reforms in Uzbekistan aim to increase women's role in socio-political life and the country’s affairs. The results are already visible: in 2016, only 7 percent of women had managerial positions in Uzbekistan, but in 2020 it rose to 12 percent, and in 2022, to 27 percent.

Today in the public sector, around 1.400 women work in managerial positions at the central and regional levels. At the same time, more than 43 are employed in top roles in districts and cities. 

Out of 150 deputies elected to the lower house of the parliament – the Legislative Chamber, there are 48 women, 32 percent. It is no exaggeration to say that these results have been achieved thanks to the conditions created for women within the public administration.

The legal framework supporting the role of women has constantly been developing. More than 20 normative documents have recently been approved to protect women’s legal rights and interests. The conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) were implemented, and a national action plan was adopted to implement the United Nations Security Council resolution on “Women, Peace and Security”. 

In a separate significant move, Uzbekistan has recently taken a vital step to eradicate gender-based violence. Parliament passed a law criminalizing domestic violence. The adopted amendments to the country’s Criminal and Administrative Codes criminalize domestic violence and provide women and children with additional protection mechanisms. The amendments, for instance, establish liability for the harassment and stalking of women. Under the new law, people found guilty of assaulting a current or former partner will face fines or prison time, and sexual offenders will not be eligible for early release. Perpetrators of sexual violence against minors will be registered and prohibited from working with children, and claims of ignorance of a victim’s age will no longer be admitted as grounds for mitigation during sentencing.

This step made Uzbekistan the fifth country in Eastern Europe and Central Asia to criminalize domestic violence as a separate criminal offense under the law, after Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova and Ukraine.

Promoting women’s rights and gender equality has been essential to constitutional reforms in Uzbekistan. The new edition of the Constitution also aims to strengthen further women’s role in politics, the economy and social life. Legal experts on gender equality reviewed the draft of the new Basic Law, and suggestions were made to further develop the legal and constitutional bases to effectively protect women’s dignity, rights, freedoms and legal interests. 

For example, Article 19 of the draft Constitution recognizes and guarantees human rights and freedoms following the generally recognized norms of international law and underlines that everyone shall enjoy human rights and liberties from birth. It also prohibits gender discrimination. 

Article 42 prohibits refusing to hire women, dismissing them from work, and reducing their wages based on pregnancy or having a child. 

Article 58 of the draft Constitution indicates that women and men shall have equal rights. The State shall ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men in public and State affairs and other spheres of social and State life. 

Article 76 of the new Constitution emphasizes that marriage shall be based on the free consent and equality of those entering into marriage. 

Article 78 stipulates that the State shall protect maternity.

As we can see, lawmakers have thoroughly considered women empowerment, gender equality and protection of women’s rights while drafting the new edition of the Constitution. 

These amendments have been developed and drafted in line with various international regulations, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 

To sum up, it should be underlined that protecting women’s rights and gender equality is at the heart of the reform program underway in Uzbekistan and of the new Constitution, which will be subject to a national referendum on April 30th. This path should lead to an increase in the influence of women in all fundamental aspects of society: in the political, economic and social spheres, as well as in the activities of every sector.

Nilufar Doniyorkhodjaeva, 

Head of Department at the Development Strategy Centre of Uzbekistan

UzA