Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- As part of the 21st meeting of the Committee to Review the Implementation of the UN Convention on Desertification (CRIC21), Plenary sessions were held on the topic of gender equality. At the events, the role of women in the fight against desertification and drought, issues of ensuring gender equality in the use of land resources were discussed.

“If you look at the statistics, women today make up the majority of those doing hard labor on the land. At the same time, they own a minority of the earth’s resources. Today’s session is dedicated to ending gender inequality and strengthening women’s rights,” said Ksenia Sklenlon, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. “Gender equality is essential for sustainable, progressive and meaningful action in the fight against drought, hunger and land degradation. Our goal is to empower women to lead healthy lives on earth,” she added.

The session highlighted that gender inequality prevents women from utilizing resources and strengthening their knowledge and skills in this regard. In turn, it was noted that gender equality gives women the opportunity to invest in sustainable land management practices, such as preventing soil erosion and planting trees.

The session also focused on the lack of equal ownership of land, use of resources, information, technology and financial services. It was also highlighted that women face certain barriers in decision-making, so the fight against dust and sand storms (DSS) needs to focus on gender-sensitive and gender-transformative measures to stop land degradation.

“Water conservation is very important to prevent desertification. It is mainly women who save water. In addition, the number of women among scientists who are looking for solutions to environmental problems is growing. Today, women conduct scientific research and propose appropriate solutions to problems such as drought, hunger, and land degradation,” said Adolat Orinova, head of the laboratory for the conservation of biological diversity at the Research Institute of Technology. “In particular, at our institute, women scientists conduct scientific research on the prevention of desertification, land degradation, planting and breeding desert-resistant plants on the dry bottom of the Aral Sea.”

During the session, speakers called for greater promotion of equal access to and ownership of land by women, especially among those living in rural areas, as well as improving their security in this regard.

As a result of the events, an agreement was reached to consistently continue measures to ensure gender equality in eliminating environmental problems and to further strengthen cooperation in this direction.