Events timed to the International Day of Rural Women
On the occasion of October 15 – the International Day of Rural Women, Tashkent hosted a forum on “Prospects for the development of women’s entrepreneurship in the countryside and the participation of the population in ensuring food security” and the solemn event “Respect for a rural woman”.
The forum was organized in cooperation with the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Committee for Family and Women, the FAO, the USAID, and the Association “Women of the Agricultural Sector” of Uzbekistan. It aims to draw attention to enhancing the role of women in society, improving the living conditions of those living in remote villages, ensuring food security, and creating conditions for attracting women to entrepreneurial activities in rural areas.
The forum was attended by the Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis – Chairperson of the Commission on Enhancing the Role of Women in Society, Gender Equality and the Family Tanzila Narbayeva, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan Kakhramon Yuldashev, Assistant Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative in Uzbekistan Sherzod Umarov, Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan Paul Poletes, Chairperson of the Association “Women of the Agricultural Sector” of Uzbekistan Adiba Akhmedjanova.
The need was noted for increasing social and political activity, legal literacy of women throughout the country, create conditions for their participation in entrepreneurship and farming.
Participants of the event discussed the role of women in the socio-economic development of rural areas, in particular in the agricultural sector, in increasing the export potential and developing the industry of the country. Issues of improving the health of rural women, maternal and child health and social protection, as well as plans for the future were considered.
At the “Respect for a rural woman” event, a group of women who conscientiously and effectively fulfilled their duties was presented with memorable gifts.
“FAO promotes rural development by engaging rural women in alternative income-generating activities”, Assistant FAO Representative in Uzbekistan Sherzod Umarov said. – This approach will have an impact on improving the living standards of the population, as a result, a healthier and more educated younger generation will grow.
It should be noted that today women make up 41.3 percent of those employed in agriculture, and almost 6,000 out of more than 80,000 households in the country are headed by women. Those working on more than 688,000 hectares of homestead land are mostly women who contribute to food security.
Based on the Resolution of the UN General Assembly of December 18, 2007 “Improvement of the situation of women in rural areas”, October 15 is declared the International Day of Rural Women. Today this date is widely celebrated in many countries of the world. On this day, events of various levels are organized in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and all regions of Uzbekistan.
“Today, 230 out of 1386 employees of the central office of more than 20 ministries, committees and agencies of the agro-industrial complex are women. Of these, more than 30 are women leaders of various levels. 47.6 thousand out of more than 177.9 thousand specialists working in the system are women, including about 650 women leaders”, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Uzbekistan Kakhramon Yuldashev said.
B.Khudoyberdiyev, UzA
