* The present document is being issued without formal editing.

Information received from Uzbekistan on follow-up to the concluding observations on its sixth periodic report *

[Date received: 7 March 2024]

Introduction

1.The Government of Uzbekistan highly appreciates constructive cooperation with United Nations treaty bodies, including the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (hereinafter “the Committee”) and expresses its gratitude to the Committee for its concluding observations and recommendations (CEDAW/C/UZB/CO/6) submitted on 1 March 2022.

2.Uzbekistan attaches great importance to follow-up to the implementation of recommendations by United Nations treaty bodies. An important part of this process is the preparation and adoption of national action plans in response to reviews of national reports. In accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 35/29, a procedure has been in place since 2018 for approval by the parliament of Uzbekistan of national action plans on the implementation of recommendations made by the Charter-based and treaty-based bodies of the United Nations.

3.On 19 December 2022, a joint resolution of the chambers of the parliament of Uzbekistan approved the 2022–2025 national action plan on implementation of the Committee’s concluding recommendations, following consideration of the sixth periodic report of Uzbekistan on implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

4.In 2023, a parliamentary commission on the observance of the international human rights obligations of Uzbekistan, established in accordance with the recommendations of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, monitored progress in implementing the 2022–2025 national action plan pursuant to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

5.The Government of Uzbekistan notes that the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations has led to progress in the observance and protection of women’s rights and gender equality in the country.

6.In accordance with paragraph 47 of the Committee’s concluding observations, Uzbekistan wishes to provide information below on the implementation of paragraphs 22 (d), 30 (b), 34 (a) and 42(b) of the concluding observations.

7.This information was prepared by the National Centre for Human Rights of Uzbekistan on the basis of submissions by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Family and Women’s Committee, the National Social Protection Agency attached to the Office of the President of Uzbekistan, the Supreme Court, the Office of the Procurator-General and civil society institutions.

I.On the implementation of paragraph 22 (d)

8.The Protection of Women from Harassment and Violence Act was adopted in 2019. Under the Act, a victim of harassment or violence is issued a protection order. The Act clearly defined the main areas of State policy for the protection of women against harassment and violence; the powers of government agencies to protect women from harassment and violence; general measures to prevent, detect and combat harassment and violence against women; and the rights of victims of harassment and violence.

9.A protection order is issued within 24 hours from the establishment of an incident of harassment and violence or the threat thereof by an official of an internal affairs body responsible for implementing personal protection against harassment and violence in the respective territory, for a period of up to 30 days, and becomes effective from the time of issuance. Upon application by a victim of harassment and violence, if the threat has not yet been eliminated, a protection order can be extended by the criminal court by no more than one year. Compliance with the requirements of the protection order is monitored by the internal affairs body.

10.In 2023, a total of 40,055 cases of violence and harassment against women identified and 39,263 women were issued with protection orders. Of these, orders were issued on the following basis:

•28,597 applications from victims of harassment and violence

•2,795 communications from individuals and entities

•6,934 directly identified instances of harassment and violence or attempts to commit them by employees of authorized bodies and organizations

•1,729 materials received from government agencies and other organizations

11.Protective orders were issued in connection with incidents of violence committed:

•In 26,904 cases by a spouse against a spouse

•In 991 cases by daughters-in-law against mothers-in-law

•In 1,432 cases by mothers-in-law against daughters-in-law

•In 10,728 cases by other persons

The abuse identified included:

•23,290 cases of mental abuse

•7,744 cases of physical abuse

•30 cases of sexual violence

•304 cases of economic violence

•8,669 cases of harassment

•18 cases of stalking

12.To ensure the effectiveness of the mechanism for protecting victims of violence by means of protection orders, the Administrative Liability Code was amended in 2020 to establish liability for failure to comply with the requirements of a protection order by a person who has committed harassment and/or violence or is inclined to commit it. In 2023, a total of 3,111 persons were held administratively liable under article 206 of the Administrative Liability Code.

13.In accordance with the Committee’s recommendation, the Act on amendments and additions to certain legislative acts in connection with further improving the system of reliable protection of the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of women and children was adopted in April 2023. This criminalizes cases of domestic violence, including economic and psychological violence. Accountability for sexual violence and harassment of women has been established and a procedure has been introduced whereby perpetrators of sexual violence cannot be released on parole or invoke extenuating circumstances. The punishment for coercing a woman to have an abortion has also been increased.

14.Victims of harassment and violence or their legal representatives can request shelter. In such cases, the relevant authorities and organizations arrange placement of the victims in special centres. In 2021, 29 centres for the rehabilitation and adaptation of women were established, where victims of violence are provided with emergency medical, psychological, social, pedagogical, legal and other assistance. Minor children of women who are victims of harassment and violence may also be placed in special centres with them.

15.In order to provide social, legal and psychological assistance and targeted support to women victims of violence, a hotline (1259) was also set up.

16.Behavioural correction programmes have been introduced in the field for offenders and persons with violent tendencies.

II.On the implementation of paragraph 30 (b)

17.Women’s education is recognized as an important priority of State policy in Uzbekistan. Newly amended article 50 of the Constitution guarantees support for and the development of various forms of education, including inclusive education, which will create a legal basis to establish equal conditions for the development of public and private education, improve its quality to meet global standards and ensure the professional development of teachers and their social protection. The State actively promotes women’s access to higher education and creates equal opportunities for their participation in scientific and professional spheres. Government initiatives and programmes are aimed at supporting women’s education and strengthening their role in society. This approach contributes to building educated and skilled human resources in the country, which, in turn, is conducive to the country’s social and economic development.

18.Monitoring results show that 1,739 girls did not attend general education institutions in the 2023–2024 school year. Among the reasons for girls’ absence from education, problems related to family circumstances, harsh attitudes on the part of parents and material difficulties were identified. The administration of educational institutions took measures to return 632 girls to education. In addition, explanations and recommendations were given in 12,568 cases to provide social and legal assistance to students without parental supervision.

19.A total of 11 early marriages were registered in 2023 (26 marriages in 2022). Thanks to the measures taken by the Government of Uzbekistan to discourage early marriage, this figure has been halved. By region, early marriages were observed in Djizak Province (two marriages), Syrdaria Province (11 marriages), Samarkand Province (one marriage) and the city of Tashkent (one marriage).

20.A total of 898,208 births were registered in 2023, of which 898,063 were among women aged 18 years and older and 147 were among women under 18 years of age, a 19 per cent decrease from 2022 (166 in 2022). The regions with the highest rates of early childbearing were Fergana Province (25), Tashkent Province (23) and Djizak Province (17).

21.In order to eliminate and prevent cases of early marriage, forced marriage and early pregnancy, the National Vocational Guidance and Educational Psychology Assessment Centre for Students under the Ministry of Preschool and School Education has developed methodological manuals and recommendations for psychologists and teachers of educational institutions, entitled “Prevention of early pregnancy among minors” and “Proper organization of the process for reintegrating boys and girls from specialized educational institutions into the general education institutions of the Republic”. The Ministry of Preschool and School Education has trained more than 500 trainers from among psychologists at general education schools in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, in Andizhan, Namangan, Fergana, Bukhara, Khorezm, Kashkadarya, Surxondaryo and Tashkent Provinces and in the city of Tashkent.

22.From September to November 2024, a total of 14 workshops and training sessions are scheduled to train 416 general school psychologists as trainers on eradicating early marriage and preventing unwanted pregnancies. The trainers, in turn, are scheduled to train about 13,000 practising psychologists and 101,345 teachers.

23.To ensure that schoolchildren are educated about sexual and reproductive health issues, the following classes on reproductive health and human rights to health were included in the curricula of general education institutions in the 2023–2024 school year and are being taught as part of academic disciplines from grades 1 to 11: “Healthy body, healthy spirit”, “Health protection”, “Our health is our wealth”, “Health is a great wealth”, “Good nutrition rules”, “Childhood and the family unit”, “The legal status of a person in society: gender equality and violence prevention” and “Marriage, the basis for its establishment and termination”.

24.In addition, more than 90,718 awareness-raising activities on the prevention of early marriage, early pregnancy and unwanted pregnancy were organized and attended by 1,307,263 women.

25.The Families and Women Research Institute prepared and distributed booklets and leaflets in the country’s regions on the negative consequences of early marriage, the promotion of healthy lifestyles and liability for violating the law on marriageable age. Two animated cartoons on the prevention of early marriages and one public service announcement on the negative consequences of marriage between close relatives were prepared and published in the mass media and on social networks.

26.For girls with early pregnancies, schools provide sufficient conditions for the uninterrupted study of subjects, special education, appropriate examinations and certification. In particular, at the end of every school year, final State certification is organized by conducting externships for students who, for various reasons, are unable to complete their general secondary education. In accordance with a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of 1 June 2022, applications for externship examinations submitted from 1 March to 1 May are accepted through the unified portal of State services (my.gov.uz). In 2023, there were 12,919 applications to take State exams through externships in order to obtain a certificate.

27.A Presidential Decree of 7 March 2022 approved a national programme to increase women’s activism in all spheres of economic, political and social life from 2022 to 2026 in order to systematically continue the reforms carried out in the country to protect the rights and legitimate interests of women, increase their economic, social and political activity, protect their health, train them for professions and employment, provide social support to women in need, ensure gender equality and the consistent implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. According to the Decree, starting from the 2022/2023 academic year, at least 1.8 trillion sum will be allocated annually from the State budget to commercial banks to finance interest-free educational loans for seven years to pay for educational contracts of women studying at higher educational institutions, technical schools and colleges. Furthermore, at least 200 billion sum will be allocated annually from the State budget to finance, on a non-refundable basis, contractual payments to all women studying on master’s degree programmes at State higher educational institutions.

28.Every year the El-Yurt Umidi Foundation provides additional grants for 50 women to study at foreign higher educational institutions on bachelor’s degree programmes and for 10 women to study on master’s degree programmes.

29.Every year 2,100 female students from socially deprived families, orphans or those left without parental care are paid for educational contracts, on a non-refundable basis, from additional sources of local budgets.

30.In total 28,664 of 29,531 women with at least five years of work experience in their specialty, but no higher education, have been advised to enrol in public higher education institutions on a preferential basis. Of these, the 507 with the highest scores have been admitted to higher education institutions on a State grant of 68.3 billion sum; and 84,640 students studying at higher education institutions have been provided with interest-free educational loans amounting to 872.2 billion sum over seven years.

31.In 2022, in order to support poor women in accessing education, 35,689 out of 84,104 needy women were awarded letters of recommendation for admission to higher education through the xotin-qizlar.uz platform. Based on their test results, the 1,982 students with the highest scores were admitted to higher education institutions on a State grant.

III.On the implementation of paragraph 34 (a)

32.The health of mothers and children is one of the priorities of Uzbekistan’s State policy on the protection of citizens’ health. In recent years, large-scale measures have been taken in the country to protect the health of mothers and children and to further strengthen the reproductive health of the population. State programmes focus on increasing women’s access to quality obstetric and gynaecological care, conducting preventive measures and providing maternity wards with medical equipment and qualified personnel. The integrated approach also includes measures to improve women’s health literacy, ensure early diagnosis and provide the necessary medical care. This systematic work is aimed at eliminating and preventing maternal and infant mortality.

33.Outpatient and polyclinic institutions organized events from 10 April to 8 May 2023 dedicated to “Women’s health month” with the participation of local specialists in order to improve women’s reproductive health and prevent maternal and infant mortality, in accordance with the Presidential Decree of 8 November 2019 on improving the quality and coverage of medical care provided to women of reproductive age, pregnant women and children and improving the quality of primary medical and sanitary and hygienic care for the population.

34.During the events, medical examinations were organized for 1.7 million women of childbearing age (18.2 per cent) and 568,000 of those women (33.7 per cent) were diagnosed with various diseases. Of these, 406,000 women (71.4 per cent) received full treatment, of whom 363,800 (89.6 per cent) were treated as outpatients and 36,400 (9 per cent) as inpatients. During the medical examination, 63,800 women were provided with various contraceptives.

35.Health check-ups for 10.4 million children aged 0 to 18 years were also organized from April to May 2023. In particular, out of the total number of children in preschool educational institutions (1.79 million children), 1.5 million children underwent medical examinations and 330,000 children diagnosed with various diseases were cured. Out of 5.9 million schoolchildren, 4.9 million underwent medical examinations and 1.2 million children with various diseases were cured.

36.A total of 3,320,191 women were examined in 2023, of whom 3,988 were diagnosed with a disease. Of these, 3,512 (88.06 per cent) received rehabilitation treatment. In total, 2,353 of the diseases detected were managed at early stages (59 per cent) and were referred to the provincial branches of the National Centre for Specialized Scientific and Practical Maternal and Child Medicine and underwent in‑depth examinations.

37.A 1.5-fold reduction in maternal mortality and a 1.3-fold reduction in infant mortality was achieved from 2017 to 2023. In 2023, there were 135 maternal deaths, a rate of 14 per 100,000 live births. In 2023, there were 8,175 infant deaths, a rate of 8.5 per 1,000 live births. Deaths of children under 1 year of age totalled 7,257.

38.Fourteen regional branches of the National Centre have been set up at territorial perinatal centres, reproductive health centres and mother and child screening centres, in accordance with Presidential Decision No. 296 of 8 September 2023 on measures to protect the health of mothers and children and strengthen the reproductive health of the population.

39.To prevent unwanted pregnancies and abortions among women of childbearing age, modern contraceptives are provided through centralized procurement. As a result of establishing effective and widespread contraceptive use, the abortion rate (compared to 2018 and 2022) decreased from 57.4 to 40.8. The State’s abortion rate in 2022 was 57.4 per 1,000 live births, a 16.7 reduction in the rate compared with 2018.

40.In order to eliminate the cause of maternal and infant mortality, 649,548 women have been provided with contraceptives. Currently, there are 257,746 stocks of contraceptives in the country, and the number of women who need to be equipped with contraceptives is 1,118,395. As of December 2023, $20.3 billion was allocated from the local budget for contraceptive purchases.

41.There are women’s clinics at primary health-care facilities and antenatal screening rooms, oncology units and girls’ health centres at district (city) multidisciplinary central polyclinics.

42.A model scheme was developed for the observation of pregnant women by nurse practitioners, according to which two nurse practitioners are assigned the responsibility of obtaining information about the condition of pregnant women and communicating that information to doctors. Family doctors, obstetricians and gynaecologists work together to discuss information about problem pregnancies weekly at the Tuesday clinic and at routine Saturday meetings for pregnant women with the head of the maternity hospital (level 1, 2 and 3 maternity hospital).

43.To provide high-quality specialized medical care to the population living in remote areas, interdistrict perinatal centres have been set up at 46 maternity units located in remote areas of district (municipal) medical associations.

44.The following activities have been implemented to increase the number of skilled birth attendants, including in rural and remote areas:

•Skilled specialists from the National Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Centre for Obstetrics and Gynaecology and from the National Perinatal Centre have trained the staff of 14 provincial and 46 interdistrict perinatal centres (obstetricians-gynaecologists, neonatologists and birth attendants)

•A total of 5,478 full-time positions have been created for birth attendants at rural and district offices in 13 provinces. In particular in:

•The Republic of Karakalpakstan (in Beruniy, Kongirot and Chimboy districts)

•Andizhan Province (in Korgontepa, Shakhrikan and Paxtaabad districts)

•Bukhara Province (in Romitan, Karakol and Gizhduvan districts)

•Djizak Province (in Zomin, Gallaorol and Pakhtakor districts)

•Kashkadarya Province (in the city of Shahrisabz and in Kason, Chirokchi and Nishan districts)

•Navoiy Province (in the city of Zarafshon and in Navbakhar and Khatirchi districts)

•Namangan Province (in Chust, Yangikurgan and Uychi districts)

•Samarkand Province (in the city of Kattakurgan and in Payarik, Pastdargom and Urgut districts)

•Syrdaria and Okoltin districts of Syrdaria Province and in the city of Yangiyer

•Surxondaryo Province (in Kumkurgan, Sherabad and Baisun districts)

•Fergana Province (in the cities of Margilan and Kokand and in Besharyk district)

•Khorezm Province (in Bogot and Yangibazor districts)

•Tashkent Province (in the cities of Almalyk, Yangiyul, Bekabad and Tashkent and in Nizhne-Chirchik district)

IV.On the implementation of paragraph 42 (b)

45.The regulations on guardianship and custody in the Republic of Uzbekistan, approved by a decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of 22 September 2014, define the following list of diseases that prevent persons from being legal guardians:

•Tuberculosis classes 1, 2 and 5 in all localized forms (active and chronic)

•Malignant oncological diseases in any localization

•Drug-related diseases (alcoholism, drug addiction and substance abuse)

•All forms of mental retardation

•Types of sexually transmitted diseases (wounds and gonorrhoea)

•All diseases and injuries resulting in category I or II disabilities depriving a person of the ability to work

46.In cases where a child is taken into guardianship, custody or foster care, a certificate from an AIDS centre is not required.

47.In accordance with article 300 of the Code of Civil Procedure, prospective adoptive parents must also attach to the package of documents a medical report on the state of their health (certificates from psychiatric, anti-tuberculosis and narcological institutions, and from an AIDS centre).

48.This provision of the legal regulations for the process of adoption, guardianship and foster parenting does not limit the right of adults to raise a child in their family, including in cases where there is a certificate indicating that the person is HIV positive.