DUSHANBE, May 25, 2026 — A meeting of women parliamentarians from Central Asia on the theme “Leadership in Advancing the Water Agenda for Sustainable Development” took place in Dushanbe within the framework of the Dushanbe Water Conference. The event took place as part of the International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development,” 2018–2028.
The discussion was organized by the Institute of Water, Hydropower, and Ecology of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan and GIZ—as part of the second phase of the “Green Central Asia” regional program and the EU4SustainableCentralAsia project.
Representatives of the Majilis of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Committee on Women’s and Family Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, and the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, as well as leaders from GIZ, HELVETAS, and the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC), addressed the participants with welcoming remarks.
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In his opening remarks, Mr. Dilovarsho Dustzoda, Advisor to the Executive Director of CAREC, addressed the participants, highlighting the power and significance of the role of elected representatives in addressing cross-border challenges:
“Parliamentarians have powerful tools at their disposal: legislation, budgetary oversight, and parliamentary diplomacy. When women leaders are actively involved in these processes, politics becomes more inclusive, trust across borders is strengthened, and communities become more resilient.”
The main goal of the event was to establish a sustainable interparliamentary platform and to move from merely declaring the importance of women’s participation to creating real, institutionally anchored mechanisms for their integration into decision-making processes and water diplomacy in the region.
The session of national statements was attended by female parliamentarians from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the Tajikistan Parliament, who shared best practices for improving national legislation.
During the panel discussions, divided into two thematic blocks, experts and parliamentarians discussed practical steps for implementing gender-responsive budgeting in the water sector, mechanisms for monitoring and evaluating strategic documents, as well as issues of inclusivity for rural and vulnerable populations.
Presentations by representatives of the Women in Water Diplomacy Network took center stage in the panel discussion.
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Shohida Tulieva (Tajikistan), a national expert on gender equality in the field of integrated water resources management (IWRM). In her presentation, she highlighted approaches and mechanisms that promote greater participation of women in decision-making processes in the water sector, and emphasized the importance of strengthening women’s leadership capacity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Farida Kodirhodjaeva, (Uzbekistan) presented a substantive report on strengthening gender-responsive water policies in the Republic of Uzbekistan, highlighting key tools for involving women in decision-making processes at all levels, such as gender budgeting and the introduction of mandatory collection of gender-disaggregated data in government agencies. Dr. Zhanar Naurozbaeva (Kazakhstan) presented a report on the role of women in making effective and meaningful decisions in the field of sustainable development. Particular attention was paid to the opportunities offered by digital diplomacy, which enables women experts to use reliable scientific data and more actively promote solutions to the water agenda at the national and regional levels.
Participants emphasized that transboundary water resources management in the context of climate change in Central Asia requires continuous trust-building and collaborative governance. In this context, strengthening the influence of women parliamentarians in decision-making processes and the use of parliamentary diplomacy tools take on particular significance.
Background
The Blue Peace Central Asia initiative (2025–2029) aims to support sustainable water resources management and promote water diplomacy in the region’s transboundary basins.
The project includes three main areas: hydro-diplomacy, implementation of projects for basin and investment planning on small transboundary rivers, and capacity building for young professionals and women.
Blue Peace promotes a multi-level and multi-stakeholder approach to water governance in Central Asia. Special attention is given to equitable distribution and efficient management of water resources in close connection with the region’s socio-economic development and stability.
The project is implemented by a consortium of International Water Management Institute and International Union for Conservation of Nature in partnership with Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia.
Additional Information:
Irina Yugay — Acting Program Manager, CAREC Water Initiatives Support Program i.yugay@carececo.org