Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 4 October  2024, the Central Asian Forum titled "The Role of Women in Science, Innovation, Food Security, and Sustainable Development" took place in Tashkent, coinciding with the International Day of Rural Women.

The forum was organized by the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Committee for Family and Women’s Affairs, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, and the NGO “Women Agrarians of Uzbekistan.”

In recent years, systematic efforts to support rural women, improve their living conditions, provide professional training, and create new jobs have strengthened their role in the agricultural sector. Women have significantly contributed to training qualified personnel for agriculture, integrating science with production, increasing agricultural output, and enhancing export potential.

The event aimed to draw attention to the role of women in society, improve living conditions for rural women, ensure food security, and discuss opportunities created for women’s entrepreneurship in rural areas, while promoting gender equality.

Prominent participants included Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Zulaykho Mahkamova, UN Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan Sabine Machl, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Kahramon Yuldashev, and FAO’s Deputy Representative in Uzbekistan Sherzod Umarov.

Forum participants emphasized the need to increase women’s socio-political activity, engage them in entrepreneurship and farming, and promote their talents. Special attention was given to raising women’s political and legal literacy. The event also welcomed guests from Central Asia and female farmers from Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector.

Sabine Machl highlighted the importance of the International Day of Rural Women, celebrated annually on 15 October, stating that the theme for this year, "Rural Women Preserving Nature for Our Shared Future," focused on climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and gender equality.

In Central Asia, and particularly in Uzbekistan, efforts toward sustainable development have targeted food security, increasing agricultural productivity, and conserving biodiversity—achievements that are impossible without the active participation of women. The region’s shared water resources and environmental challenges underline the need for regional cooperation and gender-sensitive agricultural strategies.