The Tashkent Forum of Women Leaders of the SCO Member States was held

The University of World Economy and Diplomacy hosted a forum of women leaders of the SCO member states on the theme “Enhancing the role of women leaders in ensuring sustainable development”. The event was organized with the support of the People's Diplomacy Center of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The co-organizers were the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education, the Council of Women of the UWED, the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies and the Association of Women Scientists “Olima”.

The forum was moderated by Professor, Doctor of Political Science, Chairperson of the Women's Council of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy Sultanova Etibor and the SCO National Coordinator from Uzbekistan Rakhmatilla Nurimbetov.

Opening the event, UWED Rector Komiljon Karimov emphasized the important mission of women leaders with a high level of intellectual wealth in the process of democratic transformations in the modern world.

In the welcoming address of the Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva, which was read by the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women and Gender Equality Malika Kadirkhanova, the importance of holding and the relevance of the issues raised by the Tashkent Forum of Women Leaders was emphasized. As noted in the Address, the “Strategy for Gender Equality” being implemented in the country attaches priority importance to the issues of enhancing and supporting the role of women in society. It was also noted that at present the government of the republic gives priority attention to the work on the development of the social activity of women, including women in the countryside, to ensure the sustainable development of society.

The online and offline forum was attended by international experts, women activists and members of the public from all SCO member states – Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, India, Tajikistan and Pakistan. The fact that efforts to increase the status of women in society are mentioned not only by women but also by men, in particular, indicates the force and impact of the work being done in this area. In his speech, SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov drew attention to the importance of ensuring the participation of women in the social, economic and political development of the organization's countries, in order to overcome the existing problems of gender inequality and female unemployment in the region and the world as a whole.

The forum was attended by speakers and moderators as Malika Kadyrkhanova Chairperson of the Committee on Women and Gender Equality of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, Rakhmatulla Nurimbetov National Coordinator of Uzbekistan for SCO Affairs, Galina Karelova Deputy Chairperson of the Council of the Federal Council of the Russian Federation, Tszyan Yan Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Uzbekistan, Pinky Anand Former deputy General Secretary of the Commission of the Republic of India, Aida Kasymalieva Deputy Toraga Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic, Lazzat Ramazanova, Chairperson of the National Commission on Women's Affairs and Family and Demographic Policy for the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Member of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kurbonzoda Khilolbi Jumakhon Chairperson of the Committee on Women and Family Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, Gulchekhra Rikhsieva Rector of Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies, member of the Republican Commission for Ensuring Gender Equality, Rakhbar Murtazaeva Chairperson of the Association of Women Scientists "Olima" of Uzbekistan, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of the National University of Uzbekistan, Nigina Rakhimova, Doctor of Economics, Director of the Republican Center for the study of Public opinion “Ijtimoy fikr” and they praised the growing role of women in society, especially in science and government.

As noted at the Forum, the SCO countries are a developing region of the world, which occupies over 60 percent of the territory of Eurasia with a population of 3.2 billion people, and more than half of them are women. The member states of the Organization carry out a great deal of work to ensure gender equality and the full participation of women in solving political and socio-economic problems, which is the basis for stability in each particular state and in the region as a whole.

Participants of the meeting presented their reports in such a series:

1. Women leaders as active participants in socio-political processes and socio-economic reforms,
2. Many vector activity of women in ensuring the Sustainable Development Goals,
3. Protecting and ensuring the rights of women as individuals is an important condition for sustainable development,
4. The role of women in the development of public and cultural diplomacy

The Chairman of the Forum Organizing Committee, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Vice-Rector for International Relations of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy Professor Saidmukhtar Saidkasimov expressed a high assessment to the speeches of the participants of the forum-representatives of the women's leadership of the SCO countries.

 In conclusion, it was proposed to hold this platform for discussion of topical issues of our time by women leaders of the SCO countries constantly, it was decided, on the basis of proposals and recommendations sent in writing, to prepare and distribute to all participants a Final Document as a guide to further actions. The participants unanimously noted that this forum is a big step towards strengthening women's rights and a program for the development of sustainable development goals in all SCO countries.