Kyrgyzstan to introduce comprehensive measures to overcome women's poverty

Bishkek, March 15, 2024. /Kabar/. Kyrgyzstan is introducing comprehensive measures to overcome women's poverty, Minister of Labor, Social Security and Migration Gulnara Baatyrova told.

Speaking at the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York the Kyrgyz minister said that in February of this year, the Kyrgyz Republic ratified Convention No. 190 of the International Labor Organization on the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work, and on March 7, the State Program to Support Women’s Leadership until 2030 was approved. This is another step towards SDG 5 as part of the 2030 sustainable development agenda.

“The country is implementing the National Strategy for Achieving Gender Equality until 2030 and the Program for the Support and Development of Women’s Entrepreneurship until 2026. These documents make it possible to build a fair, equal society, where every person, regardless of gender, has equal opportunities for their development and participation in the political, economic and social life of the republic,” she said.

Gulnara Baatyrova emphasized that women in Kyrgyzstan play an important role in entrepreneurship, are engaged in business in such areas as agriculture, education and innovation, healthcare and tourism, services and handicraft production, and are actively involved in the fight against climate change and the introduction of a green economy.

“Families receiving low-income benefits participate in the Social Contract initiative of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov, 92% of the participants are rural women. Mothers of children with disabilities are paid as personal assistants, which entitles them to future pension benefits.

At the same time, addressing women's poverty requires the adoption of comprehensive measures, such as: education, child care services, paid domestic work, women's employment, access to modern digital technologies, participation at the decision-making level, combating gender-based violence and discriminatory social norms and stereotypes,” the minister noted.