Wednesday, 25 November 2009
A round table for local journalists titled "Sixteen days against violence against women" was held in the city of Jizzakh on 23 November.
"Legislative and Institutional Capacity Development for Women's Empowerment in Uzbekistan", the joint project of the Women's Committee and UNDP in collaboration with NGO Istiqbolli Avlod, organized the event dedicated to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, 25 November.
The round table was aimed at assisting journalists to overcome stereotypes and informing them about the launch of regional media campaign on preventing violence against women. The campaign will be held from 25 November to 10 December 2009.
Within the campaign, the UNDP project in cooperation with Istiqbolli Avlod plan to conduct trainings, meetings, seminars and discussions on such topics as "Women and Their Rights", "Mechanisms of Women's Rights Protection", "Sixteen Days Against Violence".
The competition for journalists covering life of women and their families was announced within the round table.
The media campaign is aimed at improving knowledge of the public on issues of violence against women. It is also aimed at developing and strengthening cooperation between authorities, NGOs and mass media in solving problems of violence, promoting legal knowledge among population, boosting creative and professional works of journalists, supporting their professional initiatives and ideas, covering issues of crime against women and determining the best journalistic works and encouraging the authors.
It is also planned to hold action among the general public, including students. Simultaneously, the competition of paintings and essays on the issue will be held. In connection with this, it is planned to hold classroom hours and lessons for children in cooperation with regional department of public education.
The population of the region will receive information on violence during 16 days through regional television and radio stations.
The UNDP project "Legislative and Institutional Capacity Development for Women's Empowerment in Uzbekistan" has been implemented in collaboration with the Women's Committee of Uzbekistan. The project is aimed at supporting and building the capacity of government, civil society and mass media in reducing the gender gaps via raising awareness on and implementing the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) given to Uzbekistan in August 2006.
