UN in Turkmenistan joins global United Nations Secretary General’s Campaign UNiTE to end violence against women and girls by organizing a series of “orange events”: the human Orange ribbon by UN family, empowering dance “Break the Chain” by Y-Peer volunteers and engaging joint discussion on preventing violence from everyday individual practice to international efforts.

 

“Today on November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and everyday we stand together as a community to respond to the gender-based violence which has become a global pandemic: one in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence, most often by an intimate partner (UN Statistics). We express our support to the people and Government of Turkmenistan who made commitment to achieve gender equality as a cross-cutting priority reflected in all areas of our partnership” - said Jacinta Barrins, United Nations Resident Coordinator in her statement as she welcomed UN colleagues, partners, family and friends to join the first Orange Day in Turkmenistan by wearing orange and pin up orange ribbons to raise awareness for the for a world that is safe, equal and prosperous for every girl and woman.

The awareness-raising and small discussions have started to emerge early at 9 am as UN staff and visitors were greeted by security guards distributing UNiTE factsheets and orange ribbons, and finding flyers in the UN hallways. “I was inspired to see orange ribbons on my colleagues immediately when I walked into our Building: I knew today is the Orange Day and we are catalyzing new and very important tradition” - shared Kemal Goshliyev, UNFPA NPO, and Byashim Charryev, UN Driver, seconded him that “wearing anti-violence ribbon is a serious promise one should be ready to make.”

While UNICEF and UNDP were sharing #orangetheworld messages with public online, all agencies mobilized to come together for the #EndVAW action, became even more dynamic with the Y-Peer flashmob dance “Break the Chain”. Powerful messages by UN SG Ban Ki-Moon and UNFPA Executive Director Babatunde Osotimehin together with illustrative video statement by  UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and presentation on the global UNiTE campaign efforts have sparked meaningful discussion between UN staff and guests on the role of CEDAW, national policies and community actions on making prevention of violence a reality. Youth volunteers shared their opinion and peer education experience in the area of life skills, assertive behavior, consent and informed decisions, role of engaging boys and empowering girls.

Turkmenistan continues to assume concrete international obligations and is consistently implementing the provisions of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which Turkmenistan ratified in 2007, along with its Optional Protocol later in 2009; and participates in national reporting and constructive dialogue with CEDAW Committee since 2012. National Government adopted the new National Action Plan (NAP) on Gender Equality in Turkmenistan for the period 2015-2020; and undertakes first steps to ensure its evidence-based implementation by initiating first national domestic violence survey in 2015.

Turkmenistan and UNFPA is currently embarking on the new model of partnership to build on their achievements in gender equality, reproductive health, youth empowerment and population development, where rights and needs of women and girls are at the center of national planning and response from gender-sensitive services and education to gender-segregated data and emergency preparedness with the focus on violence prevention.

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