OSCE Office in Tajikistan organizes discussion on challenging gender stereotypes

A roundtable discussion on overcoming prevalent stereotypes  in the country was held by the OSCE Office in Tajikistan on 19 December 2016 in Dushanbe, bringing together some 30 national gender experts, women politicians, and representatives of civil society and youth.

Participants discussed the cultural understandings of gender roles versus traditional values. Many of them noted that the traditional roles of women and men in society are quite strong and that the stereotypes and poverty are the major factors that have a negative effect on educational outcomes for girls. Domestic behaviours and occupational segregation were listed as obstacles to the advancement of women and girls in everyday life, in politics and in the workplace.

“Many things have changed for women over years but gender stereotypes and beliefs remain deeply rooted,” said Vesna Ivanovikj-Castarede, Head of the Democratization Unit at the OSCE Office. “There is challenging work ahead, especially in remote areas, and now with young people on board in a responsible way we can contribute to positive cultural change and shifting people’s mind-set to view women as equal partners and contributors in every domain.”

Miraliev Usmonjon, a civil society representative, said: “This discussion was a good opportunity to learn from the experience of others and get new ideas so the youth of the new generation can tackle and break down gender stereotypes and reverse gender inequality in order to ensure our better future.”

The roundtable discussion concluded with recommendations for the OSCE Office in Tajikistan to organize monthly awareness-raising training courses and public events in the future. It was also advised that similar issues would need to be discussed in both urban and rural locations to encourage the advancement of women and girls in all areas.