NAME OF ORGANIZATION:

“Gender and Development” NGO

ADDRESS:

35 Khuseinzade Street
Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Tel: 21-06-45
Faxr: 21-06-45; 21-04-04
Email: viloyat@gad.tojikiston.com
URL: nil

HEAD OF ORGANIZATION:

MIRZOEVA, Viloyat, Ms.

YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT:

The non-governmental organization “Gender and Development” was established in January 2000. The organization continues on the WID Bureau’s activities organized in 1995 by the Government of Republic of Tajikistan with UNDP financial and technical support.

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:

The organization works based on the Charter approved by the Ministry of Law and is headed by Director. Staff at the meetings takes all decisions.

OBJECTIVES AND FUNCTIONS:

The main objective of the non-governmental organization is the empowerment of the national government and members of civil society for development of sustainable mechanism in order to achieve equality for men and women and involvement them into all spheres of public activities.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES:

Programmes towards advancement of women’s role in the society, increasing their awareness on legal and other rights, achieving real equality in all spheres of life

MAIN INITIATIEVS, ACTIVITIES, PROJECTS, PROGRAMMES:

• Development of social partnership:
1. Conducting the 1st and 2nd Forums of Women’s NGOs and various conferences with participation of the state structures, local and international NGOs. (Donors: UNDP, ADB);
2. Participation in elaboration of the National Plan of Actions on Advancement of Women in Tajikistan for the years 1998-2003. (Donor: UNDP);
3. Participation in elaboration of the State Program “Main Directions of the State Policy on Ensuring Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Women and Men for the years 2001-2010”. (Donor: UNFPA);
4. Conducting training on gender issues jointly with the state structures, members of Parliament. (Donor: UNDP);
5. Creating database on women’s NGOs. (Donors: UNDP, ADB)
6. Networking with UNDP RBEC, WOWS (Worldwide Organization of Women’s Studies), APWW (Asian Pacific Women’s Watch), WWS (World Women’s Summit) and “Kazdin” Central-Asian Information.

• Capacity building of the governmental and non-governmental organizations:
1. Increasing institutional capacity of the National Committee on Family and Women through training on NGO development, introduction to gender issues, gender planning and different courses on improvement of skills and abilities. (Donor: UNDP);
2. Conducting training for NGO GAD staff on gender issues and micro finance management in 2000. (Donor: New Zealand Government)
3. Conducting training on leadership including gender issues and micro finance management for NGOs of Khatlon Province. (Donors: OSCE, Westminster Fund for Democracy);
4. Conducting training on gender issues for the branch of MSDSP organization in GBAO. (Donor: MSDSP).

• Development of gender statistics:
1. Publication of “Gender Statistics in Tajikistan” book in 1999 jointly with the State Committee on Statistics. (Donor: UNDP);
2. Publication of “Gender Relations in Tajikistan” book in 1999. (Donor: UNDP Sub-Regional Program in Support of Gender in Development);
3. Conducting the survey in 2004 jointly with the State Statistics Committee with the aim to introduce gender statistics on crimes (UNIFEM)

• Improvement of legislative base:
1. Conducting gender expertise of legislation in 1998. (Donor: UNDP);
2. Conducting expertise of the Law on Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights. (Donor: UNFPA);
3. Conducting legislation review on support of small and medium entrepreneurship. (Donor: Eurasia Foundation);

• Legal information campaign:
1. Conducting training on women’s rights all over the republic in 1998-1999. (Donor: UNDP);

• Advocacy campaign on population, reproductive health, reproductive rights, family planning, gender issues:
1. Conducting Advocacy campaigns on grassroots level involving 45 local NGOs in 2000-2001. (Donor: UNFPA);
2. Organization of Media Watch Group of journalists, representing print, TV and radio. (Donor: UNFPA);
3. Involving 15 creative groups of journalists in conducting Advocacy campaigns. (Donor: UNFPA);
4. Conducting conferences and round tables with participation of the state structures, NGOs and mass media. (Donor: UNFPA);

• Training of adolescents on reproductive health:
1. Increasing adolescents’ awareness on reproductive health issues, including reproductive rights and gender aspects through network of NGOs, establishment of Youth Friendly Centres and production and distribution of IEC materials started in 2002. (Donor: UNFPA);

• Preparation of female leaders:
1. Setting up scholarship for 100 young women from different remote regions in 1998. Female students from seven universities in Dushanbe, have the opportunity to study English and Russian languages and to obtain computer skills. The girls are provided with intensive leadership courses in the Learning Center. In 2001 the Learning Center was handed over to the Government of Tajikistan. (Donors: UNDP, Government of Japan, OSI).

• Dissemination of information on women’s/gender issues:
1. Publishing of informative bulletin “Sabo” since 1996 up to 2004. (Donors: UNDP, UNFPA, ADB);
2. Republishing of the book “Gender Statistics in Tajikistan”. (Donor: OSI/Soros);
3. Holding 27 conferences and workshops on gender issues in Tajikistan. (Donor: UNDP);
4. Involving 17 NGOs in dissemination of information on women’s/gender issues in 1999 and 2000. (Donor: UNDP);
5. Conducting of training on gender issues for the journalists on national and province level. (Donors: UNFPA, DFID/Great Britain, UNIFEM);

• Support of women’s entrepreneurial initiatives and creation of job opportunities:
1. Establishing four branches on small and medium entrepreneurship support in Vahdat, Tursunzade and Shahrinau. Total number of 6411 clients and 2122 projects were supported. 25644 additional working places were created for both men and women. (Donors: UNDP, Japanese WID Fund);
2. Conducting training on farming for farmers in Tursunzade and Kofarnihon. (Donor: UNWFP);
3. Creating job opportunities through implementation of the project on towns cleaning in Aini and Tursunzade regions. (Donor: UNWFP).

• Prevention of violence against women:
1. Support of Crisis Centers on psychological rehabilitation of victims of violence in 3 rural areas – Kofarnihon, Tursunzade and Aini. (Donor: UNDP).
2. Information campaign to raise awareness of population on violence issues, 2004 (UNIFEM, Trust Fund)

• Rendering of humanitarian assistance:
1. Distribution of wheat seeds and fertilizers all over the republic under Emergency Drought Assistance Program. (Donor: World Bank).

MAJOR PUBLICATIONS:

1. “National Status Report on Gender in Tajikistan”, Dushanbe-1999.
2. “Gender Statistics in Republic Tajikistan”, Dushanbe-1999.
3. “ Women and Gender investigations in Tajikistan”, Dushanbe-2000.
4. “Woman, Literature and Society”, Dushanbe-2000.
5. “ Materials of the second forum of women NGOs of Tajikistan “Social partnership of the Government, NGOs and international organizations in solving gender problems in Tajikistan”, Dushanbe-2001.
6. “Tendencies of population and development”, Khujand-2001.
7. “ The family under the protection of law”, Dushanbe-2001.
8. “The fundamentals of family life”, Dushanbe-2002.
9. “Gender problems in press”, Dushanbe-2002.
10. “ Between death and life”, Dushanbe-2003.
11. “ Tajikistan: on the way to gender equity”, Dushanbe-2003.
12. “Adolescent’s Knowledge of Reproductive Health Issues” (based on survey results), Dushnabe-2003, etc.