OSCE Office in Tajikistan

The OSCE Office in Tajikistan supports a variety of awareness-raising and educational activities to promote gender equality and combat gender-based violence. It promotes the integration of a gender perspective into national policies and supports projects to redress violations of women's rights.

The Office supports 11 women's resource centres (WRCs), which provide free legal and psychological consultations as well as opportunities for basic education and professional development. In 2008, a total of 12,498 people benefited from these centres. Between March and May 2009 alone, 1,399 people took advantage of WRC services: 430 people requested psychological and legal consultation, 451 completed vocational courses (computer, sewing, spinning and knitting, literacy classes) and 518 benefited from other services such as awareness seminars or usage of the library.

To help raise the awareness of local authorities, community leaders and NGOs on gender issues, the Office supports the gender magazine "Ravzana ba Jahon" (Window to the World) and its website, www.ravzana.tj. This is the only independent magazine on gender issues in the country.

Combating violence against women

With funding from the United States (2005-08) and Finland (2008-11), the Office is supporting the first shelter for victims of domestic violence in Khujand, in northern Tajikistan. In 2008, the shelter provided refuge to 53 women and psychological and legal support to some 1,738. In the first quarter of 2009 alone, 22 people were sheltered and 162 calls were received via the hotline services.

Approximately 100 experts and policymakers from 21 countries came together to explore innovative approaches to combating violence against women at an OSCE experts' seminar held in Dushanbe from 20-22 October 2008. The Office co-organized the meeting with the Secretariat's Gender Section and used the occasion to advocate for Tajikistan's adoption of the draft Law to Prevent and Prosecute Violence against Women.

In July 2009, high ranking government officials from Tajikistan participated in a study tour to Vienna on combating violence against women. The one-week visit was organized by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan with the support of the City of Vienna's Department of Women's Affairs and its Executive Office for International Relations. The purpose of the trip was to examine the experiences, structures, functions and tasks of the various City Departments and Ministries, as well as their co-operation with Austrian non-governmental organizations involved in preventing violence against women and protecting victims.

Gender policy and legislation

In order to incorporate a gender perspective into governmental institutions, the Office assists in developing civil servants' understanding of gender issues and their skills in implementing relevant policy. Since 2005, it has helped to train more than 350 civil servants throughout the country. In 2009, a total of 60 civil servants, from the Ministries of Economics, Education and Health, respectively, completed a five-day course on gender aspects within the state service. Topics included: gender issues in Tajikistan and their meaning; national legislation and international laws guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities in Tajikistan for males and females; gender budgeting; and gender aspects of monitoring and evaluation.

The Office also co-operates with the Committee on Women and Family Affairs and offers customized annual training courses to its staff. In 2009, with a view to the upcoming 2010 elections, 60 potential leaders from Sughd, Kathlon and Gorno Badokhshon are being trained in leadership skills and on gender aspects within the state service. The aim is to ensure that, if elected, they will follow a gender-sensitive approach in their work.

In November 2006, the Office sponsored a forum for non-governmental organizations on the role of Tajik women in development issues.

The Office 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 CEDAW Committee in New York in November 2006, provided important suggestions on UN recommendations to the Tajik Government.

The Office supports the implementation of the Gender Equality Law. In 2007, it organized a summer school for parliamentarians to raise their awareness of the need to amend the Law and also helped the Government to prepare an analysis of its implementation so far. It released two publications targeting decision-makers: Analytical Paper on Gender Equality Law Implementation in Tajikistan and Gender Equality: On the Way to Sustainable Development and Democratization, in July 2008.

The Gender Unit is part of the Gender Theme Group (GTG), a forum of international agencies led by UNIFEM, which develops plans and strategies and shares programmes and info to ensure a common country approach. The GTG is an important advocacy tool for bringing gender issues onto the political agenda.