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Women’s Empowerment

Tajikistan Develops Gender Equality Strategy and Expands Support for Women

Tajikistan is developing a new strategy to address gender-related social norms for 2027–2036 while expanding programs aimed at increasing women’s economic participation and cooperation with international organizations. The draft strategy was presented at a meeting organized jointly by the Committee for Women and Family Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Representatives of 46 international organizations, development partners, and civil society groups took part in the discussions, the committee said in its review of activities for the first half of 2026. According to the committee, the strategy is intended to serve as the country’s main policy framework on gender equality over the next decade. It aims to address social norms that limit opportunities for women, promote greater participation in economic, political, and public life, and increase support for families. UNICEF is providing technical assistance in developing the document. The initiative builds on Tajikistan’s National Strategy for Enhancing the Role of Women through 2030, adopted in 2021. Under its 2026–2030 implementation plan, the government plans to further increase women’s participation in public administration, business, education, and civic life. It will also continue presidential quota and grant programs that support women’s education and entrepreneurship. One of the government's flagship initiatives is a presidential grant program for women entrepreneurs. This year, authorities received 945 project applications, which are currently under review. The program provides financial support for businesses in manufacturing, agriculture, handicrafts, and services, with the stated goals of creating jobs, increasing household incomes, and expanding opportunities for women-led enterprises. In 2026, Tajikistan was elected to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women for the 2027–2031 term, a development that authorities say reflects growing international recognition of the country’s work on gender equality. Despite these initiatives, violence against women remains a significant challenge. According to the U.N., more than 2,500 criminal cases involving violence against women have been opened in Tajikistan over the past five years. A national survey also found that 23% of women reported experiencing physical violence at least once, with most incidents occurring within the family.

Ishonch Fund

Uzbekistan Completes First Ishonch Fund Health Project for Maternal and Newborn Care

Uzbekistan has completed the first healthcare program financed through the Ishonch Fund, a mechanism established under the restitution agreement between Uzbekistan and Switzerland to channel returned assets into public development projects. The initiative invested $43.5 million in maternal and newborn healthcare across the country, marking the fund’s first large-scale use for social sector reform, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said. The project, “Every Mother and Child Survives and Thrives: Reducing Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths in 227 Perinatal Centres of Uzbekistan,” was launched in September 2023. It officially concluded at a June 25 ceremony attended by representatives of Uzbekistan’s government, the Swiss Embassy, United Nations agencies, and international development partners. Implemented jointly by UNICEF, UNFPA, and the World Health Organization, the program focused on modernizing perinatal services, upgrading medical infrastructure, and improving the skills of healthcare professionals. More than 231 perinatal healthcare facilities across Uzbekistan received modern medical equipment, including advanced incubators, respiratory support systems, anesthesia machines, and other life-saving devices. Around $31 million of the project’s budget was dedicated to purchasing and installing this equipment, expanding the capacity of hospitals to care for mothers with high-risk pregnancies and newborns requiring intensive treatment. Investment also extended to the country’s medical workforce. More than 80,000 healthcare professionals completed specialized training in modern perinatal care, high-risk pregnancy management, neonatal intensive care, and laboratory diagnostics. The program also supported the development and revision of 49 national clinical protocols, helping align maternal and newborn care with international medical standards. Public outreach formed another major part of the initiative. Nationwide awareness campaigns encouraging women to receive regular antenatal care reached nearly 20 million people, while improved maternal and perinatal healthcare services benefited almost four million citizens. According to monitoring data presented at the closing event, the share of preventable maternal deaths declined from 77.3% in 2022 to 62.8%, a decrease of 14.5 percentage points. Survival rates among newborns, particularly babies born with extremely low birth weight, increased by around 13% during the life of the program. Regina Castillo, UNICEF Representative in Uzbekistan, said the results demonstrate what can be achieved through cooperation between Uzbekistan’s government, Switzerland, civil society, and UN agencies. “The introduction of modern medical equipment and advanced clinical practices in hundreds of perinatal facilities has significantly expanded access to high-quality maternal and newborn healthcare services across the country,” she said. Swiss Ambassador Konstantin Obolensky linked the project to Switzerland’s asset restitution priorities. “The restitution of illicitly acquired assets and their transparent and accountable use remain among Switzerland’s key priorities,” Obolensky said. “The Ishonch Fund serves as a practical example of how returned assets can directly improve people’s quality of life.” Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Otabek Fazilkarimov said the effective use of restituted assets plays an important role in developing human capital and advancing reforms in the social sector. The Ishonch Fund finances development programs implemented by UN agencies under the oversight of representatives from both governments, the UN, and civil society. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia,...

Breastfeeding

Turkmenistan Promotes Breastfeeding After Reported Decline

Turkmenistan and the United Nations are encouraging Turkmen mothers to exclusively breastfeed their children in the first six months of life, following a decline in exclusive breastfeeding rates in the Central Asian country in recent years. UNICEF said its survey data showed that 84.7% of infants in Turkmenistan are breastfed within the first hour after birth. However, the proportion of babies who are exclusively breastfed over the first six months dropped from 56.5% in 2019 to 35.5% in 2024, the agency said on Monday. UNICEF is coordinating with health officials in Turkmenistan, as well as national media and social media influencers, on a campaign to promote breastfeeding that will conclude in August. The initiative provides information and expands counseling services for breastfeeding, which provides vital nutrients and strengthens immunity against many diseases. The campaign also aims to make workplaces more amenable to mothers who breastfeed their children. UNICEF said 2025 research identified “key barriers to continued breastfeeding, including limited access to counseling after discharge from maternity facilities, misinformation from online and informal sources, workplace pressures, and insufficient family support.” In 2018, the U.N. children’s agency reported that the rate of breastfeeding in Turkmenistan had increased from 11% to 59%. It said that breastfeeding had become an accepted practice in the country, a departure from approaches decades earlier when a mother and her newborn were separated immediately following delivery to let the mother rest. Newborns were fed a special solution on their first day and were breastfed only after 24 hours. In 2009, Turkmenistan passed a law to protect the right of mothers to breastfeed their children. The legislation was updated in 2016. The Progres Foundation, a non-profit organization based in the United States, says the situation for many mothers with young children in Turkmenistan is challenging, partly because of limited state support for fathers. The trust noted a report last year on legislation in Turkmenistan that provides paid breastfeeding breaks every three hours until a child is one and a half years old. However, the duration of those breaks is not specified. Also, while employers must provide nursing facilities, no minimum workplace size is defined in the breastfeeding law.

Child protection

Turkmenistan Develops First Child Protection Program

The government of Turkmenistan has begun developing its first National Program on Child Protection and Child-Friendly Justice, with technical support from UNICEF, according to a report published on April 15. Officials described the initiative as a major step toward strengthening systems that safeguard children’s rights. The process was formally launched during the first meeting of an interagency working group in Ashgabat. The group, coordinated by the Prosecutor General’s Office, includes representatives from 10 government bodies. Authorities said the program aims to establish a coordinated, cross-sectoral approach, focusing on family-based care for children without parental support, improving child justice systems, preventing violence, and strengthening overall protection mechanisms. “The development of this National Program demonstrates Turkmenistan’s commitment to protecting the rights of every child,” a representative of the Prosecutor General’s Office said. UNICEF’s representative in the country, Jalpa Ratna, welcomed the move, noting that it would help build “a more coordinated, family-oriented child protection system.” The draft program is expected to be completed by the end of the year following consultations with stakeholders, including children, families, and professionals. It will align with national legislation and international recommendations, including those from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Meanwhile, in Uzbekistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has approved a series of measures aimed at expanding social protection and improving services for vulnerable groups. The reforms focus particularly on people with disabilities, children, and women affected by violence. Among the new initiatives is the introduction of an “Early Intervention” service for children up to the age of three with developmental disorders, scheduled to begin by June 1. The program will provide specialized educational and therapeutic support through non-governmental organizations. Authorities also plan to launch several new services for adults with mental disabilities, including daycare programs, home-based care, and short-term support options designed to assist families. These services are expected to reach more than 8,300 people in 2026, with up to 600 NGOs and private providers involved. A monthly care allowance will also be introduced for guardians of adults with severe intellectual disabilities starting in September 2026. In addition, Uzbekistan plans to expand the role of its “Inson” Social Service Centers, integrating them into local government structures and strengthening oversight of guardianship arrangements. Further reforms include transforming state-run residential institutions into community-oriented care centers, expanding tax exemptions for families of children with disabilities, and introducing stricter legal measures to protect minors from exploitation.

Children

Between Statistics and Reality: What the UNICEF Report Reveals About Children in Turkmenistan

The State Committee on Statistics of Turkmenistan, in partnership with UNICEF, has released the report “Census 2022 - The Situation of Children in Turkmenistan”. However, as noted by independent outlet turkmen.news, the report is based on official census data that many experts consider unreliable or inflated, potentially skewing the findings. Despite these concerns, the report offers insight into the country’s demographic and social trends. According to the report, Turkmenistan has a notably “young” population: children aged 0-14 make up 30.7% of the total. In total, 2,463,258 individuals under the age of 17 account for more than one-third of the population. However, a decline in the birth rate is evident: there are 1.2 times fewer children in the 0-4 age group compared to those aged 5-9. Household composition data reveals that families with three or more children are the most common, comprising 43% of all households nationally and 48.9% in rural areas. Families with two children account for 31.1%, and those with one child, 25.9%. This distribution correlates with a broader demographic pattern, 57.8% of all children in Turkmenistan live in rural areas. The demographic dependency ratio remains high: there are 755 dependents per 1,000 working-age individuals. Notably, the child dependency rate is 4.3 times higher than that of the elderly, suggesting a sizable future labor force. The urban-rural divide is also apparent here: in rural areas, the child dependency ratio is 698, compared to 525 in urban centers. The report addresses early marriage and childbirth: among 15-17-year-olds, 1,349 boys (0.9%) and 1,770 girls (1.2%) were in either registered or de facto marriages. Within the same age group, 339 girls had already given birth. The highest rate of teenage births was recorded in Akhal region (4.2 per 1,000), while Ashgabat reported the lowest (1.2 per 1,000). Childhood disability statistics show mobility and stair-climbing difficulties are the most prevalent, affecting 3,106 children aged 5-17. Other reported issues include concentration and memory problems (1,989 cases), hearing impairments (1,791), and visual impairments (1,784). In all categories, boys outnumber girls. One of the most striking disparities is in preschool access. Only 23.8% of children in rural areas attend preschool, compared to 64.7% in urban areas, a rural-urban equity index of just 0.37. Given that the majority of children live in rural areas, the gap reflects systemic challenges, including insufficient infrastructure, transportation issues, and household dynamics where caregiving typically falls to women. Enrollment rates improve significantly for older children. Nearly all children aged 6-15 are in school, with only 0.3-0.4% not attending. However, the dropout rate increases in older age groups, with 5.4% of adolescents not enrolled in school or vocational institutions. No significant gender disparities were observed in this regard. Despite the insights the report offers, it is underpinned by 2022 census data that many independent experts argue is inflated. While Turkmenistan's official population stands at around 7 million, alternative estimates range between 2.7 and 5.7 million. Nevertheless, the release of this report marks a step toward a more open dialogue about the country’s social...

Child Poverty

Uzbekistan Halves Child Poverty in Four Years

Uzbekistan has achieved a significant reduction in child poverty over the past four years. According to UNICEF Representative Regina Maria Castillo, the child poverty rate dropped from 21.5% in 2021 to just 11.4% in 2024, effectively cutting the figure in half. Speaking at an international forum in Namangan, Castillo credited deliberate government policy for the 10-percentage-point decline. She emphasized that government-funded social benefits, including child allowances and pensions, played a critical role in lifting families out of poverty. Without these support mechanisms, she noted, child poverty could have sharply increased during the same period. Castillo also highlighted the importance of universal state-provided services, such as education, healthcare, and child protection, as essential pillars for developing human capital. She stressed that prioritizing child poverty reduction within broader socio-economic policy is vital, adding that UNICEF stands ready to support the Uzbek government through a multi-sectoral approach. Reducing poverty has become a central national priority in Uzbekistan. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has set an ambitious target: to lower the national poverty rate to 6% by the end of 2025 and to eradicate absolute poverty entirely by 2030. These goals build on substantial progress already achieved. According to official figures, approximately 7.5 million people have been lifted out of poverty in recent years. The national poverty rate declined to 8.9% in 2024, down from around 23% a few years prior. The World Bank estimates that poverty in Uzbekistan has halved since 2015, a rate of decline faster than the regional average. At the Namangan forum, Mirziyoyev announced that as of mid-2025, the poverty level had dropped further to 6.8%, placing the country on track to meet its 6% year-end target. “Thanks to consistent reforms, 7.5 million people have been lifted out of poverty… The objective is to reduce this to 6% by year-end,” he said. “By 2030, Uzbekistan has every opportunity to completely eradicate absolute poverty and we will definitely achieve this.” Several key drivers underpin the country's progress. Rising household incomes account for roughly 60% of the recent poverty reduction, according to the World Bank. With the economy nearly doubling in size over the past eight years, economic growth has translated into higher wages and job creation, lifting many families above the poverty line. Another major contributor has been the expansion and modernization of social benefit programs. Increased spending on pensions and direct aid has protected millions from falling into extreme hardship. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Uzbekistan mobilized $8 billion for free medical supplies and direct payments, which prevented an estimated 5.2 million people from falling into the “poverty trap.” Looking ahead, sustaining these gains will hinge on job creation and human-capital improvements, sharper targeting in social protection, and stronger climate resilience - especially in rural regions. UNICEF’s 2024 situation analysis likewise flags regional disparities in child poverty and stresses better services for large, low-income households. The World Bank’s climate assessments, meanwhile, warn that rising temperatures and mounting water stress could push vulnerable rural families back into poverty without quicker adaptation in agriculture...