Investing in women, building the region: What you need to know from the Asian Women’s Forum 2026
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More than 80 parliamentarians, scientists, and women leaders from 18 countries across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe gathered in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on 14–15 May for the Second Asian Women’s Forum. Held under the theme “Investment in Women – Foundation of Sustainable Growth: Expanding Political, Economic, Social, and Environmental Opportunities for Women,” the Forum concluded with the adoption of the Bukhara Declaration.
Organized by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan with the support of the United Nations, the Forum builds on the inaugural meeting held in Samarkand in 2024. First proposed by the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Forum is emerging as a permanent platform for regional cooperation on gender equality and sustainable development, with the next Forum scheduled for 2028.
Here are some of the key highlights from the Asian Women’s Forum 2026.
Women’s leadership is moving from commitment to representation
Discussions on women’s participation in governance and political decision-making highlighted how legal reform, institutional mechanisms, and sustained political commitment can expand women’s role in public life.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev pointed to progress in Uzbekistan, where women now hold 35 per cent of positions in public administration and nearly half of seats within political party structures. The country also ranks 35th globally in the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s Women in Parliament index. At the same time, women’s enrolment in master’s programmes has grown eleven times over the past five years.
In her remarks, Ceren Guven Gures, Head of UN Women Central Asia Liaison Office, noted that political systems and leadership models were historically designed by and for men, making it harder for women to access and remain in decision-making spaces.
The Bukhara Declaration commits participating states to advancing women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation across public institutions, parliaments, and local self-government bodies.
Women’s economic empowerment is the foundation for sustainable growth
A central message of the Forum was that women’s full participation in regional economies continues to be limited by the disproportionate burden of unpaid care work, overrepresentation in informal employment, and limited access to financial services, credit, and professional networks.
The Bukhara Declaration identified these challenges as policy priorities and calls for stronger investment in women’s economic opportunities, including ensuring that women are part of emerging sectors such as green jobs, digital markets, and sustainable industries from the outset.
A regional platform will support women in AI and digital technologies
One of the Forum’s most forward-looking proposals was the creation of a regional platform to train women in artificial intelligence and digital technologies, paired with support for women-led startups across member countries.
Women remain underrepresented not only as users of emerging technologies, including science, education, ecology, innovation, and artificial intelligence, but also as those who design and govern them. Participants stressed that this gap has real-world consequences, influencing everything from hiring algorithms to healthcare applications and online content moderation.
The Bukhara Declaration commits states to expanding equal access for women and girls to quality education, science, technology, and innovation, while supporting women’s active participation in digital transformation and climate action
Digital safety for women is a growing regional concern
The Forum also focused on the increasing risk women face in digital spaces, including online harassment and technology-facilitated violence.
Participating called for stronger legal protections, coordinated institutional responses, and more accessible support services for women survivors of online violence. Discussions emphasized that online violence cannot be separated from broader efforts to strengthen women’s rights, safety, and social protection systems.
The Bukhara Declaration reaffirms that all forms of violence against women and girls, including violence committed through digital technologies, are unacceptable.
The Bukhara Declaration set a shared regional agenda
Adopted at the close of the first day, the Bukhara Declaration builds on the Samarkand Declaration of 2024 and focuses on four areas: women’s political participation, economic empowerment, education and innovation, and social protection and digital safety.
The Declaration calls on governments, parliaments, international organizations, businesses, and civil society to translate the commitments into measurable actions, supported by adequate financing and coordinated efforts.
It closes with the message that defined the Forum: investing in women is an investment in sustainable development, strong institutions, and a prosperous future for the region and the world.”