DUSHANBE, November 5, 2014, Asia-Plus — On Tuesday November 4, Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Aslov received Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Gender Issues June Zeitlin.
According to the Tajik MFA information department, the sides exchanged views on problems of gender equality in Tajikistan.
Meantime, the OSCE Office in Tajikistan reports that Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Gender Issues June Zeitlin paid a four-day country visit to Tajikistan from November 1 to November 4.
The focus of the visit was on implementation of gender equality policy and programs, particularly its new Law on Prevention of Violence in the Family. The country visit was coordinated by the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship in cooperation with the OSCE Office in Tajikistan.
During the visit, Zeitlin had substantial exchanges with government officials from several agencies, including the Ministry of Interior, the Committee of Women and Family Affairs and the consultative group of Parliamentarians who developed the new domestic violence law. She also met with representatives of civil society and visited the Bovari Crisis Center in Dushanbe and the Women Resource Center in Kulob, both of which provide assistance to victims of domestic violence. In addition, she discussed increased women’s political participation with the Group of 8, which includes women political leaders from all of the political parties, the only such cross-party effort.
As a result of the country visit to Tajikistan, the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office will issue a report, which will include specific recommendations on how to improve the implementation of gender equality related commitments.
“One of the highlights of my visit, Zeitlin said, was participating at the launch of the Commentary on the Domestic Violence law. This was an open discussion of stakeholders on effective implementation and concrete recommendations were provided by the participants. This is an encouraging process which will be ongoing while the law is implemented.”
On November 6, Special Representative Zeitlin will report to the Permanent Council in Vienna on her activities in 2014. The year 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the Action Plan for the Promotion of Gender Equality. This landmark document calls on the OSCE to analyze the differential impact its policies, programs and projects have on women and man, and how to more effectively support the OSCE’s participating States in implementing gender equality commitments. 2014 Swiss Chairmanship and 2015 Serbian Chairmanship expressed their commitment to further work on enhancing gender mainstreaming and advancing gender equality.
