The Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan organizes the 9th EU–Tajikistan Civil Society Seminar in Dushanbe on March 6. Discussions will focus on “Economic and Social Empowerment of Women and Girls in Tajikistan”.
More than 80 representatives from Tajik civil society and the government, as well as gender experts from the EU and Central Asia will discuss challenges and problems that women and young girls face in Tajikistan. The seminar will also create a platform for exchange of experience among Tajik NGOs working on gender-related issues, and women economic empowerment in particular. Civil society representatives will share best practices of women’s economic empowerment in Tajikistan and the role of civil society in this process. They will also asses the opportunities and gaps in policies supporting economic empowerment of women and girls.
Ambassador, Head of EU Delegation to Tajikistan Marilyn Josefson underlines that the European Union and its Member States have always been at the forefront of the protection and the fulfilment of human rights of women and girls. “The EU is systematically pushing for a more gender-sensitive vision of the society, be it through support to rural development and small entrepreneurship in Tajikistan, assistance in the education and health systems, or promoting respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Every single action that we undertake here in Tajikistan takes into consideration the many difficulties that women and girls have to cope with, from tackling gender inequality in economic sphere to prevention of domestic violence. The European Union stands ready to provide its full political and financial support to the Government of Tajikistan to work at decreasing gender inequality and promoting empowerment and engagement of Tajik women in all areas of social and economic life.”
The civil society seminar is a part of the annual Human Rights Dialogue organized between the European Union and the Government of Tajikistan to discuss wide range of issues in the field of human rights. One of the key aims of the seminar is the formulation of the common recommendations by the civil society, which later will be studied by the EU and presented to the Government of Tajikistan.
