Uzbekistan – Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Submission – 81st Session, 2022

Despite recent developments to put in place a framework for the protection of women’s rights and combating gender-based violence, Uzbekistan’s legal system continues to provide a number of opportunities for perpetrators to escape criminal liability or punishment, namely through the way sexual violence crimes are defined; allowing for the direct release of a perpetrator from liability or punishment in certain circumstances; and through the way sexual violence crimes are investigated and prosecuted, including with respect to adolescent girls.

Submitted by:

• • Equality Now – an international human rights NGO with the mission to achieve legal and systemic change that addresses violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world. Founded in 1992, Equality Now is registered in London, New York, and Nairobi, and has consultants based in various parts of the world. Ending sexual violence, ending sexual exploitation, ending harmful practices, and achieving legal equality are the main areas of Equality Now’s work.

• • Nemolchi.uz – an independent information project against violence in Uzbekistan, created in 2017. It was created to draw attention to violence against women and change the attitude of society towards this issue. It is a platform where readers can find useful information about what gender based violence is, how to deal with violence, and where to get help. Victims of gender-based violence can tell their stories anonymously and receive psychological support. The mission of Nemolchi.uz is to defeat gender-based violence through education.

• • NIHOL Initiative’s Development and Supporting Centre – a non-governmental, non-commercial, public organisation established by women leaders in Tashkent and the Tashkent region and registered in August 2003. The main office of NIHOL is in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The mission of NIHOL Centre is comprehensive development and supporting citizen’s initiatives (especially youth, women, and people with disabilities) in rural areas on using their rights and freedoms in building up civil society and democratisation of public progress through providing them with education, information and consulting.