Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – December 13, 2023

On December 13, 2023, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Institute of State, Law and Democracy organized an orientation meeting for Members of the Mejlis (Parliament) of Turkmenistan. The workshop facilitated by Ms. Leyla Sharafi, Senior Gender Advisor at UNFPA Headquarters, aimed to foster dialogue on the role of Parliament in aligning the national legislation related to gender equality and human rights that are integral elements of achieving sustainable development and enhancement of the well-being and quality of people’s lives in Turkmenistan.

By engaging with the parliamentarians, UNFPA acknowledges their capacity as influential advocates of development. This includes their involvement in discussing crucial development matters within parliamentary bodies, examining and endorsing inclusive legislation as well as ensuring accountability in policy implementation.  

Ms. Ayna Seyitliyeva, Head of UNFPA Office in Turkmenistan, highlighted the UNFPA’s commitment to building and strengthening strategic partnerships with parliamentarians around UNFPA’s transformative results to accelerate the implementation of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the recommendations of Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), pointing out that this session could be instrumental in strengthening legislation, policies, and practices to promote women’s and girls’ empowerment and to establish a comprehensive legal framework to support the national efforts in ensuring gender equalities.

The event was attended by Members of the Mejlis, who represented Committees for the protection of human rights and freedoms, legislation and norms, social policy, science, education, culture and youth policy. The briefing also gathered the members of the Working Group of the Interministerial Commission on the implementation of international obligations of Turkmenistan in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law, including CEDAW.

Ms. Shemshat Atajanova, Head of the Department of Democracy and International Relations, Institute of State, Law and Democracy, outlined the country's commitments in relation to CEDAW and highlighted the progress that Turkmenistan has achieved towards it. She also mentioned the importance of publication of the Survey on Health and Status of a Woman in the Family in Turkmenistan and development of the Roadmap to follow up on the recommendations of the Survey. She mentioned that gender equality issues are included in all national programs of Turkmenistan aimed at the integration of women and girls into the socio-economic development of the country. 

Ms. Leyla Sharafi, a senior expert in this field, led the discourse, emphasizing the crucial role of parliamentarians in championing gender equality. She emphasized that laws play a pivotal role in ensuring equal opportunities for women in areas such as education, employment, and leadership roles. An in-depth conversation among participants indicated a keen interest in improving comprehension of the challenges resulted from inequality in a broader context. The meeting also served as a platform for sharing global best practices on strengthening the parliament’s role in enhancing gender equality, elimination of gender-based violence, and addressing the needs of vulnerable groups.

The orientation briefing represents a milestone in fostering collaboration between the UNFPA and the Mejlis, working together to act upon the international commitments of Turkmenistan towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) on the eve of Commission on Population and Development (CPD57) and the Summit of the Future in 2024 ​​. 

About UNFPA:

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. UNFPA's mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. In Turkmenistan, UNFPA works collaboratively with government partners to advance the reproductive health and rights of all individuals and promote gender equality, so that women, girls and men especially those vulnerable exercise their rights to a life of health, equal opportunity, and choices.