Participants got acquainted with the aspects of human rights protection and peculiarities of evidence in the sphere of gender rights protection. In addition, journalists attended sessions on gender equality, international treaties on women’s rights, the issue of early marriages and enhanced their professional skills. Special attention was paid to improving practical skills of gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory communications as mass media is one of the important instruments that forms public opinion.

This summer school for journalists was organized within the joint project of UNDP and the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan "Legislative and Institutional Capacity Development for Women’s Empowerment in Uzbekistan". The project is directed at supporting and building the capacity of the government, civil society and mass media in reducing the gender gaps via raising awareness of and implementing the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) to Uzbekistan. This will be done via systematic capacity building of journalists in improving their professionalism and skills on gender issues coverage through mass media.

The CEDAW Convention adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, is an international document on the rights of women. Uzbekistan was the first Central Asian country to ratify the convention in 1995 and has reported twice to the CEDAW Committee on its implementation. The country will present its next report in August 2008.

The most successful and creative participants will be offered to develop a social videos, advertising posters on women’s rights in cooperation with the advertising agencies of Uzbekistan.

Malika Inakova, manager of the project "Legislative and Institutional Capacity Development for Women’s Empowerment in Uzbekistan", said: "It is not the first similar event in the frameworks of this project. Competent coverage, professional approach to wide dissemination of knowledge on gender issues and norms of [CEDAW] Convention through mass media is one of the effective ways for improving the status of women in Uzbekistan. Similar educational events will help build the capacity of journalists in advancement of their professionalism and gender issues coverage skills".

Firuza Aripova, young journalist, commenting her participation in the event, said: "I consider journalists as a link between the polpulation and state and it is them, who cover real situation in the society".