The Justice Ministry of Uzbekistan has approved the 2021 Action Plan to introduce a gender responsive regulatory impact assessment system (GR-RIA) developed in close collaboration with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the National Commission on Gender Equality.

According to EBRD, this is a revolutionary development for the country and Central Asia, as Uzbekistan is set to become the first country in the region to introduce “gender lens”, a specialised tool that would investigate how new regulations might increase, maintain or reduce inequalities between men and women.

“The Action Plan presentation, which will be taking place in the country’s capital Tashkent on 3 March, 2021, will allow stakeholders see the impact the GR-RIA can make. It will in particular give Uzbekistan’s private sector an important and equal role in the decision-making process related to gender issues in the country. The GR-RIA will also eliminate excessive administrative and other regulatory restrictions for SMEs and make them more competitive by creating a more enabling business environment”, it said.

The EBRD and Uzbekistan policy agenda towards the promotion of female entrepreneurship has supported the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative. The funds are to be used to develop training platforms, online tools and resources designed to boost the implementation of GR-RIA among civil servants and improve the dialogue between the country’s civil society, the authorities and other stakeholders.