At the event dedicated to the results of the conference «Advancing Gender Equality: An Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue to Strengthen Legislative Frameworks to Ensure Progress on Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence» Head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)  Office in Turkmenistan Kemal Goshliyev, Executive Director of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development Farrukh Usmonov, Head of the National Center of Trade Unions of Turkmenistan, Chairperson of the Central Council of the Women's Union of Turkmenistan Oguljennet Berdiliyeva, and Chairperson of the Committee for Science, Education, Culture and Youth Policy of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan Bayramgozel Myradova made speeches.

Kemal Goshliyev – Head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Office in Turkmenistan:

In his speech, Kemal Goshliyev expressed his gratitude to the Turkmen side and the participants of the conference for the highly organized holding of this international conference, and highly appreciated the work being done to expand women's rights and opportunities, ensure gender equality, and unite the efforts of lawmakers at the global level.

Noting that despite national differences, countries share the same goals, he emphasized that preventing violence against women is not only a legal issue, but also a fundamental condition for sustainable development. He noted that without security and equality, it is impossible to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and that every step to protect women's rights contributes to economic stability and social well-being of the entire region.

Farrukh Usmonov – Executive Director of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development:

In his speech, Farrukh Usmonov noted that the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development has been supporting the work of parliamentarians for more than 40 years.

He also noted that this conference serves as a convenient platform for discussing the issue of ensuring gender equality with parliamentarians from Asian and European countries, during which the participants shared various experiences and demonstrated their individual and joint efforts to ensure gender equality. He noted that the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development pays special attention to the issue of ensuring gender equality and actively advocates for the advancement of this issue.

He emphasized that the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development is working on gender equality, calling on its member states to adopt or improve relevant laws, develop cooperation with civil society, and expand cooperation with other relevant stakeholders.

In this regard, it was emphasized that in order for women to fully realize their potential, they should be provided with equal access to the education system, a safe learning environment should be created, their participation in the labor market should be expanded, and entrepreneurship development should be supported.

He emphasized that the role of parliamentarians in this regard is increasingly important and that they are always ready to act as an effective platform for continuing dialogue at the national and international levels.

Oguljennet Berdiliyeva – Chairperson of the National Center of Trade Unions of Turkmenistan, Chairperson of the Central Council of the Women's Union of Turkmenistan:

Oguljennet Berdiliyeva noted that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women at the state level. The country's legislative framework in this area is constantly being improved, and national programs are being successfully implemented to support the family institution, protect motherhood and childhood, and expand women's participation in all aspects of public life.

Turkmenistan is currently becoming an important arena for international discussions on the role of women in society. And also within the framework of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, the country hosted a forum of women leaders. This forum brought together representatives from different countries and provided an opportunity to discuss urgent issues of expanding women's opportunities.

Turkmenistan also hosted an international conference entitled «The Role of Women in Modern Society: Advancing International Cooperation to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals».  The event served as an important platform for exchanging experiences and strengthening cooperation.

It was emphasized that the results of today's conference, the ideas and proposals put forward will contribute to further developing international cooperation and improving legislative mechanisms to ensure equal rights and opportunities for women and men.

Bayramgozel Myradova – Chairperson of the Committee for Science, Education, Culture and Youth Policy of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan:

Bayramgozel Myradova in her speech noted that this conference was an effective platform for presenting Turkmenistan's positive experience to the world community, supporting important initiatives, and implementing them in practice.

Our Esteemed President attaches great importance to expanding inter-parliamentary cooperation with countries around the world. As a result, effectively developed inter-parliamentary relations contribute to raising friendly relations between peoples and states to a new level. The activities of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan are aimed at presenting the positive initiatives put forward by our country to the international community through parliamentary diplomacy and widely promoting the principles of permanent Neutrality.

Discussions held within the framework of the Inter-parliamentary dialogue helped to increase the effectiveness of cooperation in the field of gender equality, exchange experiences in legislative work, and identify specific directions for this gender equality.

It was expressed confidence that the ideas, proposals, and joint initiatives put forward at today's conference demonstrated their effectiveness in expanding women's political and economic opportunities, improving labor relations and living conditions, and reliably protecting their rights, and that this dialogue will facilitate the exchange of experiences and further strengthening cooperation between the parliaments of partner countries.

Gender equality is not only about protecting women's rights, but also the foundation for building a democratic, stable and just society. It implies equal opportunities for men and women in all spheres of society, equal contribution to the country's economic development, active participation in state governance and equal access to human capital.

She noted that ensuring gender equality today is one of the most important indicators of the fulfillment of human rights and freedoms. Therefore, state policies and public initiatives in this area are of strategic importance not only for women, but also for the happy life of every person and the bright future of the country.

The fourth session, «Ensuring the Improvement of Legislative Norms, Taking into Account the Interests of Victims of Violence and Respect for Human Rights», was held as part of the conference «Advancing Gender Equality: An Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue to Strengthen Legislative Frameworks to Ensure Progress on Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence».

The fourth session of the conference was chaired and presented by Kiyoko Ikegami, Vice-President, Secretary General of the Asian Population and Development Association. J.Ovekova, member of the Committee on Legislation and its Norms of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, also spoke at the meeting.

Kiyoko Ikegami, Vice-President, Secretary General of the Asian Association for Population and Development:

Kiyoko Ikegami emphasized that issues of gender equality and combating gender-based violence are not limited to the legal system but are directly linked to the development, security, and stability of society.

In this regard, she emphasized that in Japan, public policy and legislation are primarily aimed at protecting women. She also noted that Japan is currently developing its legal system in a number of areas related to gender equality, and that specific laws have been adopted and protective mechanisms established in these areas.

Stating that ensuring gender equality and combating gender-based violence today requires not only the adoption of individual laws but also a comprehensive and integrated approach, she emphasized that such an approach encompasses several areas, such as unified legislation guaranteeing gender equality; collecting and analyzing data in a unified system; conducting educational and preventive activities for young people; and developing cooperation between government agencies and public associations. She noted that national parliaments play an important role in ensuring gender equality.

J. Ovekova – member of the Committee on Legislation and its Norms of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan:

In her speech, the representative of our country's Parliament noted that the development of the human rights protection system requires the continuous improvement of legislation based on humanistic principles, emphasizing that under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, human and civil rights and freedoms in Turkmenistan are recognized in accordance with generally recognized norms of international law and are guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of Turkmenistan.

Ensuring, protecting and respecting human rights are one of the priority areas of state policy of Turkmenistan. Reforms undertaken in this area are aimed at improving the living conditions of the population. Turkmenistan's national legislation consistently implements international law and sets new objectives for further legislative improvement.

Legislative reforms in Turkmenistan are being implemented based on the country's Constitution. Legislative reforms in the area of ​​human rights are currently ongoing as part of the development of the «National Action Plan of Turkmenistan on Human Rights for 2026-2030». Turkmenistan is one of the leading countries in the fight against statelessness and has been awarded the UN's relevant certification for this.

Turkmenistan is also taking important steps to implement gender policy and effectively cooperates with international organizations in this area.

As part of the conference «Advancing Gender Equality: An Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue to Strengthen Legislative Frameworks to Ensure Progress on Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence» the third session, «Preventing Gender-Based Violence as a Condition for Sustainable Development», was held.       The third meeting chaired by M.Divanova, member of the Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, was attended by Bolotbek Borbiev, member of the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic, Yusuf Ahlatchi, Chairman of the Committee on Judicial and Legal Issues, Law and Order, Fight against Crime and Corruption, member of the Parliament of the Republic of Türkiye, and Orzigul Kozikhonova, Chairperson of the Committee on Youth, Women, Culture and Sports of the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Bolotbek Borbiev – a member of the Parliament of the Kyrgyz Republic and Chairman of the Committee on Judicial and Legal Issues, Law and Order, and the Fight against Crime and Corruption:

In his speech, Bolotbek Borkiev expressed gratitude to the Turkmen side for the warm welcome and the opportunity to participate and speak at such an important parliamentary dialogue.

He noted that the Kyrgyz Republic ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 1997 and has since accepted it as the basis for international standards for the protection of women's rights, emphasizing that women's high participation in public administration makes state institutions more open, effective, and inclusive.

Emphasizing that protecting women's rights is not only an international obligation but also the foundation of sustainable development and social well-being, he expressed confidence that today's dialogue will make a significant contribution to expanding cooperation and creating new opportunities.

Yusuf Ahlatchi – Member of Parliament of the Republic of Türkiye:

Yusuf Ahlatchi noted the international significance of today's inter-parliamentary dialogue, which is taking place in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan's capital, and expressed satisfaction at the opportunity to speak at it.

Stating that strengthening women's rights and ensuring equal opportunities are fundamental to the well-being of society, he emphasized the importance of strengthening the legislative framework in this area, studying international experience, and exchanging opinions, and also presented national experience of Türkiye.

He noted that the international conference in Ashgabat represents a historic opportunity for countries to exchange experiences in bringing their national legislation in this area into line with international standards.

Orzigul Kozikhonova – Chairperson of the Committee on Youth, Women, Culture and Sports of the Senate of the Republic of Uzbekistan:

In her speech, Orzigul Kozikhonova expressed confidence that such dialogues will help strengthen cooperation in the region, facilitate a broad exchange of opinions, and develop relevant proposals and recommendations.

She noted that ensuring gender equality and protecting women's rights are among the priorities facing the international community today, and therefore, combating gender-based violence is not only a social issue but also a legal and political.

She presented the work being carried out in Uzbekistan to improve the status of women, ensure their rights, protect women and children from violence, and gradually improve national legislation in this area. She also emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to combating gender-based violence and the important role of parliaments in this process.

The second session, «From Adoption to Implementation: Parliamentarians as Architects of Accountability – Milestones Achieved and Challenges Ahead» was held as part of the conference «Advancing Gender Equality: An Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue to Strengthen Legislative Frameworks to Ensure Progress on Gender Equality and Gender-Based Violence».

At the second session, chaired by Chinwe Ogbonna, UNFPA Representative in Kazakhstan and Country Director for Turkmenistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, featured presentations by Eka Sepashvili – Member of the Parliament of Georgia, Lidija Petkoska – Member of the Parliament of North Macedonia and Member of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, and Surayo Dastmurodzoda – Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan and Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on International Relations, Public Associations and Information.

Eka Sepashvili – Member of Parliament of Georgia:

In her speech, Eka Sepashvili highlighted the work being done in Georgia to ensure gender equality, emphasizing that large-scale efforts in this area are being undertaken in all countries and that areas such as education, healthcare, and the economy are crucial for ensuring gender equality and societal development. She noted that Georgia has acceded to all international conventions on women's issues, that a new committee on women and children's affairs has been established in parliament, and that a comprehensive review of terminology is an important aspect of legislative reforms, and that, in this regard, concepts clearly reflecting the equality of women and men have been introduced into legislation.

Lidija Petkoska – Member of the Parliament of North Macedonia, Member of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men:

In her speech, she noted that the recent parliamentary elections in the country significantly increased the role of women in society, and that the Club of Women Parliamentarians, an informal platform advocating for women's equality, had been established.

She noted that today's international conference serves as a convenient platform for learning about the legislative and parliamentary work of sunny Turkmenistan and countries in the region, and for sharing experiences.

Surayo Dastmurodzoda – is a member of the Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan, deputy chairman of the Committee on International Relations, Public Associations and Information:

In her speech, Surayo Dastmurodzoda described the work being done to strengthen the legislative framework for gender equality in Tajikistan. She also provided examples of women's role in the country's political and public life and their participation in various economic sectors.

She noted that today's conference provided wide opportunities to learn about national practices and share experiences in improving legislation in this area.