Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Gender equality is one of the priority areas of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development until 2030 and a key factor in ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth.

It plays a decisive role in overcoming poverty, reducing inequality, and strengthening social well-being. In this context, the FAO actively supports member states in developing and implementing strategies aimed at achieving gender equality, particularly in the agricultural sector, where women make up a significant portion of the workforce.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Ministry of Ecology, Environment, and Climate Change, is implementing the GCP/UZB/020/GFF project "Sustainable Management of Forests and Pastures in the Arid Ecosystems of Uzbekistan." As part of this project, a draft Strategy for Gender-Responsive Approaches in Agricultural Development has been developed, based on the principle of "No One Left Behind."

To successfully finalize and implement the document, it was crucial to involve representatives from government bodies, academic communities, and gender equality experts for discussion and alignment on key provisions. In this regard, the project organized a seminar in the capital, providing a platform for dialogue, opinion exchange, and identifying practical steps for adopting the document. Notably, the new gender strategy focuses on ensuring equal opportunities, increasing women’s participation in decision-making, and promoting sustainable agricultural resource management. Special attention is given to creating mechanisms that help minimize existing gender barriers, ensuring equitable access to resources, financing, and educational opportunities.

"In 2021, the Senate of the Oliy Majlis approved a gender strategy, urging each ministry and organization to develop its own document in this area. Why is it important to develop a gender strategy for agriculture? Today, more than 48 percent of our country’s population lives in rural areas, and more than half of them are women.

Despite the harsh living and working conditions in rural areas, women actively contribute to providing the population with environmentally friendly products. The gender strategy includes measures to improve the quality of workplaces for women, as well as to enhance their financial and legal literacy," said Malika Kadyrkhanova, a member of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, discussing the essence of the developing document.

It is worth noting that the Strategy draft was prepared with the participation of leading national and international experts, including specialists from the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. "Sustainable development is impossible without considering the gender aspect. Women, as we know, play a key role in agriculture, often involved in livestock grazing, harvesting, and land cultivation. However, their rights and opportunities are often limited, so strengthening the rights of landowners over pastures must be a conscious effort that includes ensuring equal access to resources for both women and men.

Discussing topics such as land degradation indicators and soil erosion is critical as these factors directly impact agricultural productivity and, consequently, the economic well-being of families, where women often bear the primary responsibility for food security. Climate change and land degradation exacerbate existing inequalities, so it is necessary to develop tools and mechanisms to help women adapt to changes and thrive in new conditions," said Nariman Nishanov, FAO project Chief Technical Advisor.

During the event, another seminar was organized for representatives of relevant organizations and agencies. Participants discussed the importance of strengthening the rights of landowners over pastures, as well as the impact of land degradation neutrality (LDN) indicators and factors such as soil erosion, salinization, and decreased organic carbon content (SOC) in the soil. Presentations were made on the results of research aimed at rational pasture use, the introduction of modern methods of monitoring and management, and projects dedicated to the digitalization of pastures in Uzbekistan.