WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN POLITICAL LIFE: OPPORTUNITIES AND BARRIERS
Jaloldinova Gulzirahon Otabek kizi
Student of group 101, Computer Linguistics, Faculty of Philology, Andijan State University
Today, thanks to the extensive reforms being carried out in our country, many opportunities are opening up for women. In this regard, we consider it appropriate to quote the speech of our President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the Senate of the Oliy Majlis in June 2019: “I am often concerned about the stereotype that has emerged in the minds of our people. Usually, we respect a woman, first of all, as a mother, a keeper of the family hearth. This is undoubtedly true. However, today every woman should not be an ordinary observer, but also an active and proactive participant in the democratic changes taking place in the country.”
Through this speech, the head of our state emphasizes that women should have their place not only in the family, but also in all developing spheres of society. We know that today our progressive women are working in public administration, education, art and culture, medicine, sports and a number of other areas and are achieving many successes. Their activities testify to the fact that women have their place in society, that their rights and interests are determined by law, and that they have equal rights with men. Also, the participation of women in political life is of great importance not only for our society, but also for our state.
In particular, one of such women. We can cite Tanzila Norbaeva as the first woman in the history of our country to be elected to the chair of the Senate. During her long career, she held such positions in public administration as Head of the Secretariat of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Head of the Secretariat of the Head of the Complex for Social Protection of Family, Motherhood and Childhood, Leading Specialist and Chief Specialist of the Information and Analytical Department on Education, Healthcare and Social Protection of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the Council of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan.
During her career, Tanzila Norbaeva proved that women can also actively work in political life and public administration, and bring benefits to society and the state. Indeed, today, more than 1,300 women hold leadership positions in state and public organizations,
including 45 in ministries and departments, 39 in the Administration of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Cabinet of Ministers, and 207 in local government bodies.
Women and girls are given every opportunity to improve their political knowledge and test themselves in various fields. In particular, entrepreneurship centers for women have been established. This center helps retrain women who are on long-term parental leave and who are in a difficult economic situation in their professions, develops women’s business skills, provides them with advice and practical assistance.
Women who express a desire to engage in entrepreneurship are trained according to a special training program based on a list formed by the district (city) khokim and the women’s committee. Those who successfully complete special programs are given the opportunity to engage in entrepreneurial activities, based on the recommendation of the district (city) women’s committee. A preferential loan is provided for setting up. In addition, in order to provide socio-economic assistance to women, the “Women’s Book” was introduced. With this, the head of our state is creating a foundation for women to show themselves in every aspect.
It is true that in New Uzbekistan, all opportunities are being opened for women, gender equality is being created. But as is not without controversy, there are also some narrow-minded people. A woman should be busy raising children and doing household chores. There are also many who think that she cannot function in the same social circle as men. In their opinion, if a woman works in society, actively interacts with society, and financially supports her family, she will change as a result of the influence of some people in society
and will lose her place as a woman in the family.
But we believe that this issue depends on human upbringing. It is important to ignore such negative thoughts in society. The Head of our state is creating many opportunities for women to find their place in society, be appreciated, and contribute to the development of society and the state, and is enshrining this in law.
In particular, the approval of Law No. 562 “On Guarantees of Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men” on September 2, 2019 is a vivid proof of this. To date, serious attention is being paid to the issue of gender equality in our country. The practical result of this is that Uzbekistan is also a leader in key indicators of gender equality and gender development: the Gender Development Index (GRI) for women is 0.795 compared to men, which indicates a high level of equality between women and men.
I consider it appropriate to mention that the percentage of our women and girls in political life has increased significantly. In particular, women’s participation in political processes is increasing, and this trend can also be observed in electoral processes. The 1952 UN Convention on the Political Rights of Women. The Convention stipulates that women have the right to vote and stand for election on an equal basis with men. If we compare the results of the last elections to representative bodies, all parties have fulfilled the legal requirement that at least 30 percent of candidates must be women. In particular, 41 percent of the candidates nominated by parties were women.
This situation was also positively assessed by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Uzbekistan began participating in the Gender Equality Index in 2019. As of 2019, Uzbekistan’s gender equality index ranked 62nd out of 189 countries on the list. Taking advantage of these opportunities, there are enough of our women who are taking their rightful place in political and social circles.
For example, in the field of sports, our compatriot Diyora Keldiyorova won the Olympic championship. In addition, it is commendable that another of our compatriots, Rayyona Ibrohimova, won 1st place at the International German Language Olympiad. There are many such women and girls in our country who deserve our pride. Why do you think they are achieving success in the world community and raising our flag even higher?
Of course, this is because our country pays due attention to our women and girls and creates opportunities for their development. It is not necessary to put obstacles in the way of women, but to be able to provide them with wings so that they can fly. In short, we must not forget that our women and girls can be the pillars of our society, just like men.
References
- Resolution of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Resolution No. SQ-297- IV dated 28.05.2021
- The Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On the Protection of Women and Girls from Harassment and Violence”, adopted on September 2, 2019
- Uzbekistan Gender Equality and Gender Indicators.