OSCE Centre in Dushanbe

The Centre in Dushanbe supports a variety of awareness-raising and educational activities to promote gender equality. It also assists Tajikistan with efforts to combat human trafficking.

Raising gender awareness

The OSCE Centre supports nine women's resource centres that provide free legal, medical and psychological consultations, as well as opportunities for basic education and professional development. In 2006, more than 12,000 people benefited from these centres.

With funding from the United States, the Centre has supported the first shelter for victims of domestic violence in Khujand, in northern Tajikistan. In 2006, the shelter provided refuge to 16 women, and psychological and legal support to some 1,400.

The Centre also helps to mainstream gender into education through a pilot project implemented together with the Teachers Training Institute in Dushanbe. A curriculum was developed to meet the needs of secondary school teachers, and 16 instructors attended a course which enabled them to become trainers.

The OSCE-supported gender magazine "Ravzana ba Jahon" (window to the world) and its website www.ravzana.tj help to raise the awareness of local authorities, community leaders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on gender issues.

Combating human trafficking

The OSCE Centre trained journalists on reporting anti-trafficking cases, supported public awareness campaigns, helped identify gaps in the national legislation and advised in developing the national anti-trafficking action plan. It also helps to enhance the capacity of the anti-trafficking commission by supporting its participation in regional and international anti-trafficking events and conferences.

Gender equality mechanisms

Since 2005, the OSCE Centre has helped to train more than 200 civil servants throughout the country to implement gender equality policies. To increase the capacity of women's NGOs, the Centre sponsored a forum on the role of Tajik women in development issues.

The Centre also supported a group of NGO experts in preparing the first shadow report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The report, submitted to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in New York in November 2006, provided important information for UN recommendations to the Tajik Government.

To support the implementation of the Gender Equality Law, the Centre plans to help parliamentarians mainstream gender issues into the law-making process.