From February 27 to 28, in cooperation with the Prosecutor General’s Office of Uzbekistan, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA 10) organised a Roundtable in Tashkent on provision of support to women residing in the border areas of Uzbekistan. The Roundtable helped to raise awareness on the challenges encountered by women residing in close proximity to the borders and served as a platform for dialogue among the state agencies to exchange up-to-date information, and, most importantly, to develop joint ideas and solutions to support this group of women.

The Programme’s expert team presented best practices from both the European Union and the Eastern Partnership countries in addressing the vulnerabilities of women residing in the border areas. During the interactive sessions, in cooperation with the international experts, representatives of the Uzbek state agencies analysed the existing situation of women from border regions, with a focus on respect for human rights, prevention of domestic violence, engagement of elderly women and increased employment opportunities. The in-depth discussions enabled experts to formulate tailored recommendations to better support all groups of women, residing in the border areas of Uzbekistan.

The Roundtable was organised in the framework of the Programme’s Component 4, “Improvement of Cross-Border Cooperation”, which is aimed at improving the living conditions of people in border areas through local economic development, with a focus on human rights, gender equality and vulnerable groups.