United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan organize a seminar for lawyers of Uzbekistan to acquaint them with family conflict resolution and women’s rights protection in criminal and civil laws.

About 25 lawyers from various parts of Uzbekistan are taking part in the work of the three-day seminar, which opened at Poytaht Hotel in Tashkent on 17 September. The seminar titled "Family conflict resolution and women’s rights protection in criminal and civil laws. Experience of Russia and Uzbekistan" will discuss such issues as gender equality and stereotypes, the protection of women’s rights, legislation in the sphere of domestic conflicts prevention, and working with victims of a family conflict.

The participants will learn the experience of law-enforcement bodies of Russia in family conflict resolution and domestic violence prevention, the cases on the protection of honor and dignity in Russia, and the role of lawyers in the prevention of domestic violence. They will also get acquainted with the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the recommendations of CEDAW Committee to Uzbekistan.

Ms Kyoko Postill, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Uzbekistan, said: "Uzbekistan can be proud of its efforts and achievements, in the past years, in promoting gender equality and advancement of women. Uzbekistan has achieved gender parity in primary, secondary and vocational education, thus meeting one of the Millennium Development Goals much earlier than the targeted date of 2015." She added that, at the same time, Uzbekistan still faces some challenges as do many other countries. For example, the country should carry out legislative reforms in a number of gender-related areas and improve awareness among parliamentarians, law enforcement agencies, civil servants, social workers, youth and the general population on the CEDAW Convention.

The seminar is organized by the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan and UNDP project "Legislative and Institutional Capacity Development for Women’s Empowerment in Uzbekistan". The project aims to support and build 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 CEDAW Committee to Uzbekistan. It is envisaged to achieve the goal via building the capacity of journalists, improving their professionalism and gender issues coverage in 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.