Training on gender equality for local women was held in the Yagnob Valley

2024-07-05 09:42

From June 23 to 24, 2024, in the village of Piskon, Yagnob Valley of Tajikistan, a two-day training “The role and participation of women in the development of local communities” was held, in which 26 local women from 6 target villages of the project took part. Its main goal was to increase the knowledge of Yagnob women about gender equality and their rights, including participation in the decision-making process. The event was organized by the environmental organization the Little Earth.

A female trainer with extensive experience working in rural regions was invited to conduct a training. During the training, various interactive methods were used, including general discussions, small group work, mini-lectures, brainstorming sessions, role-playing games and energizers. This made it possible to create the necessary conditions to overcome existing barriers and involve participants in discussions.

“This is my first time participating in such an event. For me, the training turned out to be useful and interesting. We discussed the challenges we face every day and argued about the impact we could have if we were more involved in our villages. We realized that without taking into account our opinion, there will be few results. Thank you to the organizers,” Atobuloeva Makhina, one of the training participants, shared her opinion.

The participants learned what legislation exists in the field of ensuring women's rights, got acquainted with specific examples of women's mobilization in other regions of the republic and realized that without their participation, most decisions on community development cannot be effective. In addition, the participants discussed what socio-ecological issues their villages face and what the role of women could be in solving them.

“Traditional stereotypes and negative social and religious norms tend to seriously limit the rights and opportunities of women. For example, they are practically not represented in local governing bodies and their voice is often not taken into account. By raising awareness of rural women and providing them with new knowledge, we contribute to their empowerment and involvement in the processes taking place in their own communities,” said Anton Timoshenko, executive director of the Little Earth.

Another training on sustainable energy solutions will be organized soon for the target group of women. The project participants have already stated that they are looking forward to its implementation.

Let us remind you that the activities mentioned above are part of the project “Sustainable management of natural resources and participation of women in mountain communities of Yagnob”, which is implemented by the Little Earth with the support of Forum CIV with the assistance of the Swedish partner Centralasiengrupperna.

Timur Idrisov, the Little Earth.
In the photographs: participants of the training “The role and participation of women in the development of local communities”.