TALAS, 5th of March 2019 – more than 400 young people gathered today in Talas to listen to speeches of famous Kyrgyz people, about how to achieve success in life and choose their dream profession. This event was held under the UN auspices, as part of a global campaign to promote the rights and opportunities of women and girls, which was dedicated to the International Women's Day, with an emphasis to promote equality, generate innovations and technology for the changes. UNFPA in collaboration with UN agencies, Jenish Razakov - the Vice Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, Ministry of Labour and Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic and Talas regional state administration were the organizers of the meeting with the youth of Talas.

A sincere dialogue about the challenges and barriers that rural girls and young women are facing to access various resources is very crucial in the run up to the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action to improve the situation of women and girls and in the context of nationalizing the Sustainable Development Goals. Rural girls and young women are most vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence, gender-based discrimination in access to education, social services and employment. According to a joint study by UNFPA, UN Women, IOM and the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic, the highest percentage of abductions of women with the purpose of marriage (ala-kachuu/bride kidnapping) is carried out in Talas region (60%).

According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Development information, in Kyrgyzstan 68% of economically active population are women, of which 72.2% do not have a profession or occupation. Therefore, to ensure the sustainable development of local communities it is necessary to promote gender equality and empower women, particularly in the field of social protection, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure.

Women of different professions shared their personal experiences in how to achieve success, overcome various barriers, and advised how to choose the right pathway in education, profession and favourite job. Women of different professions such as Parliament Member Aida Kasymalieva, police colonel Bermet Temirbaeva, heavy vehicle driver Aizada Toktogulova, businesswoman Asel’ Kuttubaeva, head of the Federation of Blind People Gulnaz Zhuzbaeva, TV presenter Aizada Zhamgyrchieva and others, shared their life stories.

Master classes on vocational guidance and educational opportunities in universities abroad were held after the speeches. The youth of Talas tried to assemble their own satellite and learned how to follow their dreams and achieve goals, despite gender stereotypes and barriers on the way.

The event was organized by the UN system in Kyrgyzstan: UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), UN Development Program (UNDP), UN World Food Program (UN WFP), Program Office of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the Kyrgyz Republic (UNODC), UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with the support of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic and Talas Regional State Administration.