Outcome TJK_D_1.1

By 2026, governance is more inclusive, transparent and accountable, serving to protect human rights, empower women, and reduce violence and discrimination in alignment with the international commitments of Tajikistan (UNSDCF Outcome 4)?

*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id="request-WEB:e25f729d-cddc-4f47-a441-e1b6f2a3f580-17" data-testid="conversation-turn-36" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn="assistant"> Governance systems in Tajikistan are becoming more inclusive, transparent, and accountable by 2026, with strengthened protection of human rights and increased leadership and participation of women, particularly those at risk of marginalization. UN Women Office in Tajikistan has contributed to this shift by enhancing institutional capacities, supporting decision-making platforms, and strengthening accountability mechanisms at local, national, and regional levels. These efforts have embedded gender equality and SDG commitments more systematically into governance processes, ensuring that women’s voices are better integrated into decision-making. As a result of the joint UN Women–UNICEF initiative, Aligning SDGs for Local Financing , gender-responsive planning and budgeting practices were successfully institutionalized in Bokhtar and Khuroson through a combination of capacity building, evidence generation, participatory tools, and technical support to local authorities and stakeholders. The programme, implemented with funding from the Joint SDG Fund and jointly led by UNICEF and UN Women, aimed to enhance local financial planning and budgeting in alignment with SDG objectives, particularly through strengthening institutional knowledge, participatory mechanisms, and evidence-based approaches in local governance and public finance systems. UNICEF’s role included leading technical assistance on local planning and budgeting processes, generating baseline evidence to inform inclusive practices, and advocating for the integration of child- and gender-responsive budgeting principles in local policies and procedures, especially in education and social services planning. Over 200 stakeholders from government, civil society, and local communities were engaged, with UNICEF supporting baseline assessments and capacity building that helped local actors understand and apply SDG localization frameworks, participatory budget processes, and inclusive planning tools. The joint efforts led to better alignment of local resources with community priorities, improved transparency through participatory budget hearings, and strengthened mechanisms for women, youth, and marginalized groups to influence decisions on local resource allocation, laying the foundation for sustained, gender-responsive public finance systems that can be scaled to other regions. The initiative also significantly enhanced the capacity of local authorities, civil society organizations (CSOs), and community representatives to integrate gender equality and SDG targets into local planning and financial processes, which led to more transparent and inclusive allocation of local resources, with the introduction of SDG localization checklists, M&E frameworks, and participatory budget hearings strengthening accountability. Women, youth, and marginalized groups were empowered to influence local financial decisions, laying the foundation for sustainable, gender-responsive public finance systems that can be scaled to other regions. UN Women’s support significantly strengthened women’s leadership and cross-border governance platforms at the regional level, particularly through Tajikistan’s chairmanship of the Central Asia Women Leaders Caucus (CAWLC). This resulted in high-level forums on Women in Glaciers Preservation, Women in the Green and Digital Economy, and Women, Peace and Security, which shifted women’s roles from episodic participation to recognized leadership in regional policy dialogue. These forums enhanced collective advocacy, influenced policy agendas on climate action, economic transformation, and peacebuilding, and laid the foundation for a regional knowledge hub. This approach ensured the sustainability of women’s influence in regional governance, contributing to more gender-responsive policies and stronger cross-border collaboration. In the area of disaster risk reduction (DRR), UN Women contributed to more gender-responsive national disaster governance frameworks. Gender-sensitive measures were integrated into the draft 2026–2028 Action Plan of the Medium-Term State Programme on the Protection of Population and Territories from Emergencies, addressing the differentiated needs of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. These measures are informed by available data, showing that women, especially in rural and mountainous regions, are disproportionately affected by natural hazards and have limited access to early-warning systems and preparedness resources in Tajikistan. These measures also reflect a shift toward LNOB-aligned disaster planning, informed by community consultations and strengthened institutional capacity. UN Women also advanced preventive and inclusive peace and security governance by leading the Assessment of Key Gender-Based Drivers and Root Causes of Violent Extremism in Tajikistan . Globally, research shows that perceptions of injustice, lack of economic opportunity, and social exclusion are key drivers of radicalization, with these factors often intersecting with gender inequality and restricting women’s participation in prevention and peace processes. In Central Asia, youth—who make up over 60?% of the population in countries like Tajikistan—often face high unemployment and limited civic engagement opportunities, increasing vulnerabilities to social unrest and extremist influences. The integration of assessment's findings into the forthcoming National Strategy on Countering Terrorism and Extremism (2026–2030), therefore, represents a system-level change, ensuring that gender analysis and the roles of women and marginalized communities are institutionalized within national counter-extremism policies. Collectively, these interventions contributed to durable outcome-level change - governance systems that are better equipped to respond to gender inequalities, incorporate community voices, and sustain women’s leadership across financial planning, climate action, disaster risk reduction, economic governance, and peace and security. By strengthening institutions, platforms, and accountability mechanisms, UN Women supported a transition toward governance that is inclusive by design, aligned with the SDGs, and grounded in the Leave No One Behind principle. https://www.facebook.com/61568769149824/posts/122135555432625638/ https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AQYmRaCtL/ https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18P2u6jnfB/ https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18UvZbt4Gi/

By 2026, governance is more inclusive, transparent and accountable, serving to protect human rights, empower women, and reduce violence and discrimination in alignment with the international commitments of Tajikistan (UNSDCF Outcome 4)?

Outcome has not been achieved , however, in 2023 UN Women made significant progress. The Government of Tajikistan developed a draft of the new State Programme on Prevention of Violence against women and children in Tajikistan for 2024-2029 and its detailed National Action Plan, with adoption planned in 2024. UN Women directly supported the programme’s development by CoWFA RT. 220 specialists of the state structures and CSOs contributed to the process through 5 national public consultations held in Dushanbe, Khatlon, Sughd, Districts of Republican Subordinations and GBAO . The working group considered the opinions of these specialists based on key achievements and gaps to be bridged; capacity of the implementers of the relevant Law(s); dissemination of information on the Law and the State programme; significance of work with the communities; and data and research as evidence based information . The process of finalization and adoption will be done in the beginning of 2024. I n addition, in 2023 , UN Women made significant progress to drafts NAP 1325. The NAP on UNSCR includes all important aspects of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. The CoWFA is going to resume the consultations and submit the draft to the Government of RT for consideration by key ministries and committees in 2024. The current draft of NAP included important chapters, including human resources capacitated on WPS issues; increasing the role of women in decision-making in the judicial, law enforcement and defense sector; important for Tajikistan sector sector; and consideration of the special needs of women and girls in adapting to the impacts of climate change and emergencies. The plan lists responsible parties and considers cooperation with the CSOs and research organizations. The draft NAP considers the financial means for implementation, and includes several provisions for work, related to the Strategic Cooperation of the Governments on WPS NAPs at Central Asia Regional level (the process was greatly facilitated by ECARO). The UN Women established partnerships with the state partners: CoWFA, ministries of interior and defense, Committees on National Security and Emergencies, local government actors. Civil society organizations, including Women Peacebuilders Network and youth organizations significantly contributed to the process. The newly drafted NAP provides recommendations for different clusters of stakeholders, including new actors (Ministry of Culture, Committee on TV and Radio, commercial structures, Higher Institutions and Universities) for implementation. The UN Women established partnerships with the state partners: CoWFA, ministries of interior and defense, Committees on National Security and Emergencies, local government actors. Civil society organizations, including Women Peacebuilders Network and youth organizations significantly contributed to the process. The newly drafted NAP provides recommendations for different clusters of stakeholders, including new actors (Ministry of Culture, Committee on TV and Radio, commercial structures, Higher Institutions and Universities) for implementation. 140 women enterpreneurs, especially from vulnerable groups, youth and people with disabilities and 60 representatives from ministries and development partners exchanged information and developed specific recommendations in order to create opportunities for promoting women’s entrepreneurship and discuss ways to overcome problems and obstacles in these areas. This occurred during International Women's Entrepreneurship Day conducted by UN Women in partnership with the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management of RT and relevant ministries and agencies, and development partners, such as EBRD, GIZ, FAO, UNDP, PO “Ishtirok”. This year’s conference was aimed to boost the growth and sustainability of women-led businesses in the country and the region. At the conference women entrepreneurs presented goods, products and services: Women and youth were introduced to new entrepreneurship reforms. Financial opportunities were presented as part of the reforms. Various projects and plans of development partners were introduced to support business startups. Exchange of experiences occurred among businesswomen. Strategies on how to attract national and international experts were discussed. Skills enhancement for women in e-commerce and the green economy was emphasized. Other relevant issues were addressed to empower women in business. Efforts were made to involve a wide range of women and girls from different regions of the country. The Government of Tajikistan, the SIC, the Secretariat of the Advisory Council under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, the CoWFA, the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management of RT recognized the role of UN Women in organizing EXPO and contributions to the development of women’s businesses. Based on the progress made to date, the original strategy and theory of change for this outcome is largely still applicable.

By 2026, governance is more inclusive, transparent and accountable, serving to protect human rights, empower women, and reduce violence and discrimination in alignment with the international commitments of Tajikistan (UNSDCF Outcome 4)?

In 2024, the Government of Tajikistan made significant efforts to promote inclusive and accountable governance. While no national or local gender-focused strategies were adopted, key actions, with UN Women's support, aligned with the country’s international commitments to gender equality, human rights, and reducing violence and discrimination. State Programme for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (2025–2030) : UN Women provided technical and financial support to ensure alignment with global standards, incorporating monitoring indicators and input from 220 stakeholders. National Action Plan (NAP) : UN Women finalized and submitted Tajikistan’s third NAP for government endorsement, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. UN Women facilitated multi-stakeholder dialogues to enhance inclusivity: Open Day for Peace Dialogue : Brought together 50 participants, including women leaders and government officials, to discuss strategies for strengthening women’s role in governance and peacebuilding. Women and Water Forum : Gathered 180 participants, including diplomats, activists, scientists, and water sector professionals, to highlight women’s contributions to water governance. UN Women strengthened institutional capacities for gender-responsive governance: Training for government and civil society organizations : Conducted targeted sessions on Eliminating Violence Against Women (EVAW), benefiting 76 women and 7 men. Enhancing gender-sensitive data : Supported the development of data collection tools for crisis centers to ensure a gender-sensitive data collection (in the context of the INL-supported project). UN Women leveraged partnerships to amplify advocacy efforts: Collaboration with UN agencies, donors, and organizations to align resources for advancing gender equality. Public campaigns and media engagement to raise awareness about gender norms and women’s rights. These efforts contributed to protecting human rights, empowering women, and reducing discrimination in Tajikistan.