Central Asia and Azerbaijan unite to advance women’s access to justice ahead of CSW70

10 December 2025, Tashkent. - On 10 December 2025, Human Rights Day, Central Asia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring equal access to justice for all women and girls during a Preparatory High-Level Meeting for the 70th Session of the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW70) that will be held in New York from 9 to 20 March 2026. The meeting concluded with the commitment to adopt a Joint Statement, outlining shared priorities and concrete actions to advance gender-responsive legal frameworks and institutional responses.

The event, titled “Access to Justice for All Women and Girls in Central Asia and Azerbaijan: Strengthening Legal Frameworks and Institutional Responses,” was jointly organized by the Government of Uzbekistan and UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. Hosted at the Academy of Public Policy and Administration, it brought together senior officials from justice ministries, parliaments, constitutional courts, ombudsperson institutions, civil society organizations, youth representatives, international partners and the United Nations.

The meeting served as a regional platform to take stock of progress, identify persistent barriers and align regional positions ahead of CSW70, which will take place in New York from 9 to 20 March 2026 and will focus on access to justice for all women and girls as its priority theme. Senior officials from six member states reviewed progress made in eliminating discriminatory laws and strengthening gender-responsive justice systems; assess structural, economic, social, and cultural barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing justice; and explored opportunities to advance legal and institutional reforms at country and regional level. 

Access to justice as a foundation for women’s rights

Access to justice is a fundamental human right and a prerequisite for women and girls to fully enjoy all other rights. Across Central Asia and Azerbaijan, women continue to face gender-based violence, discriminatory laws and practices, economic dependence, limited legal literacy and entrenched social norms that undermine their ability to seek redress and protection.

Opening the meeting, Jasur Salikhov, Rector of the Academy of Public Policy and Administration, welcomed participants and highlighted Uzbekistan’s ongoing reforms to strengthen women’s participation in public life. He noted steady progress in women’s parliamentary representation and emphasized the Academy’s role in embedding gender perspectives in public administration training and policy development.

Malika Kadirkhanova, Senator and member of the Senate Committee on Youth, Women, Culture and Sports, underlined that supporting women and ensuring their access to justice is a core state priority.

“Today’s meeting is an opportunity to develop a unified regional position on access to justice for women in Central Asia and Azerbaijan,” she said, stressing the importance of collective solutions to shared challenges.

Reaffirming Uzbekistan’s policy of zero tolerance for violence against women, Umida Abdullaeva, First Deputy Chairperson of the Family and Women Committee, highlighted that more than 100 regulatory legal acts aligned with international standards have been adopted in recent years.

“Our priority is to eliminate violence and discrimination, dismantle gender stereotypes and create legal and institutional conditions for women to fully realize their human rights,” she stated, expressing confidence that the regional platform would lead to practical results.

Regional progress and shared responsibility

In her opening remarks, Belén Sanz Luque, Regional Director for UN Women Europe and Central Asia, framed access to justice as both a core human rights principle and a pathway to equality in everyday life.

“Access to justice shapes how women live their lives — whether a survivor of domestic violence can safely seek protection, whether a woman can claim equal pay for equal work, or whether a girl can grow up to become a judge based on her merit alone,” she said.

She emphasized that the voices and experiences of Central Asia and Azerbaijan must be reflected in the agreed conclusions of CSW70, particularly at a time when multilateralism faces growing challenges. Highlighting recent reforms across the region, she pointed to the criminalization of domestic violence and sexual harassment in Uzbekistan, strengthened protections for women and children in Kazakhstan, and legislative and policy advances in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

A strong youth perspective was brought to the discussion by Laylo Aslonova, Chairperson of the Youth Parliament under the Senate of Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who stressed that no reform can be truly transformative without the participation of young people.

“Laws are not enough if women and girls do not know where to go or believe their voices matter. Access to justice starts with awareness, education and trust,” she said, calling for youth-led digital solutions and the inclusion of young men in efforts to challenge harmful norms.

Addressing structural barriers to justice

The first thematic panel focused on the economic, political, social and cultural barriers that limit women’s access to justice.

Elvira Azimova, Chairperson of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan, highlighted the importance of effective judicial instruments, regional dialogue and digitalization in improving access to courts, particularly for vulnerable groups. She shared experiences from a regional platform for women judges and legal professionals launched in 2025.

Linking justice to economic empowerment, H.E. Christopher Duggan, Ambassador of Canada, noted that women’s economic participation strengthens agency, resilience and the ability to claim rights.

“Economic empowerment and access to justice are deeply interconnected. When women are economically independent, they are better positioned to navigate institutions and seek redress,” he said, reaffirming Canada’s commitment to gender-responsive economic reforms in Central Asia.

Government representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan shared national efforts, including zero-tolerance policies on violence, mobile legal services, gender monitoring across ministries and inter-agency coordination to prevent and respond to violence against women.

From the perspective of civil society, Vera Zakutnyaya, Executive Director of CSO Sana Sezim (Kazakhstan), welcomed recent legal advances while underscoring persistent challenges.

“Economic barriers, social pressure and limited access to legal aid continue to prevent many women — especially migrant women — from seeking justice. NGOs play a crucial role in building trust and accompanying survivors through the system,” she said.

From laws to equality in practice

The second panel examined how legislative reforms can translate into real equality for women and girls.

Parliamentarians and ombudspersons outlined progress in criminalizing domestic violence, addressing stalking and forced marriage, conducting gender analysis of laws and strengthening national human rights institutions.

Feruza Eshmatova, Ombudsperson for Human Rights under the Senate of Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, emphasized that awareness remains a major gap despite strong legal frameworks.

“Many women are still unaware of their rights and the laws that protect them. Raising legal awareness, especially in remote communities, is essential to ensuring equal access to justice,” she noted.

From an international human rights perspective, Omer Fisher, Representative of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central Asia, highlighted CEDAW General Recommendation No. 33 as a practical roadmap for justice systems, stressing availability, accessibility, quality, effective remedies and accountability, as well as the need to address intersectional discrimination.

Strengthening institutions and regional cooperation

The final panel focused on institutional reforms needed to deliver gender-responsive justice.

Judges and justice officials from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan discussed state-funded legal aid systems, mobile lawyers, digital case management and mandatory gender training for justice-sector personnel. Participants highlighted the importance of survivor-centered approaches that provide protection and support from the first report through post-trial rehabilitation.

At the same time, speakers acknowledged ongoing challenges, including long decision-making timelines, shortages of gender-sensitive specialists and limited legal literacy among women. Several participants called for common regional standards and permanent platforms for cooperation, training and knowledge exchange.

Youth representatives stressed the need for accessible legal language, legal education and the meaningful inclusion of young women and men as partners in justice reform.

Joint statement and the road to CSW70

The meeting concluded with the commitment to adopt a Joint Statement, reaffirming shared commitments to eliminate discriminatory laws, strengthen survivor-centered responses to violence, expand legal literacy, promote women’s leadership in justice institutions and deepen regional cooperation ahead of CSW70.

In her closing remarks, Sadagat Gahramanova, Deputy Chair of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan, emphasized that unresolved issues such as alimony, custody and domestic violence continue to have profound consequences for women and children and require coordinated, rights-based responses.

As countries prepare to engage at CSW70, the Tashkent meeting sent a clear message: access to justice for women and girls is not optional. It is essential to achieving gender equality, upholding human rights and building inclusive, resilient societies across Central Asia and Azerbaijan.