The European Union Supports the Development of NGOs in Uzbekistan to Effectively Address Gender Equality in the Media

24 August 2024. Tashkent, Uzbekistan. - Today, the training session "How NGOs can advocate gender equality to a broad audience: Developing a Communication Strategy" was held as part of the EU Tabassum (Smile) project, funded by the European Union. This event brought together representatives from civil society organizations to enhance the capacity of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Uzbekistan to serve as vital sources of timely information and to become effective participants in the media landscape.

EU in Uzbekistan

NGOs in Uzbekistan play a crucial role in addressing gender issues and promoting equality. However, in the rapidly evolving media environment, they face significant challenges in conveying information about their programs, projects, and success stories to a broad audience. This training provided NGO representatives with modern tools and methodologies actively used in the media to highlight socially relevant topics. With the knowledge and skills acquired, these organizations will be better equipped to adapt to the new realities of the media space and increase public awareness of the importance of gender equality and women's rights.

EU in Uzbekistan

To achieve these goals, the training programme was designed with a focus on key aspects of effective communication. Special attention was given to defining communication objectives, creating a detailed portrait of the target audience, selecting the most appropriate channels for the distribution of information, and developing a comprehensive communication strategy. The main objective of this strategy is to promote gender equality and empower women in Uzbekistan.

EU in Uzbekistan

During the training, participants gained valuable insights into methods for creating high-quality and effective content, learned about best practices in gender-sensitive reporting, and explored modern artificial intelligence tools that can be useful in their professional activities. This training is the first in a series of events for NGO representatives that will take place across various regions of Uzbekistan under the EU-Tabassum project.

"The European Union stands with the women of Uzbekistan and supports their efforts towards equal rights and opportunities with men. Strengthening the capacity of NGOs in Uzbekistan and enhancing their ability to communicate important social issues to a broad audience is a significant step in this direction. We recognise the influence of the media, how it can drive positive change in the attitudes of people and empower women. Therefore, we proudly support today's media training for NGOs who work on gender equality. The European Union consistently supports initiatives aimed at promoting gender equality and empowering women. We hope that this project will contribute to the development of a community that not only highlights important topics but also actively participates in solving social problems,"

- said Mr. Wim RIEPMA, Head of Cooperation and Chargé d'Affaires of the EU Delegation in Uzbekistan, in his welcoming speech.

"The training gave us an understanding of modern media trends, a better outlook on the characteristics of our target audience, and their needs. This knowledge will help NGOs like ours to independently cover social issues in the media, convey the results of our work to the general public, and create and share success stories,"

- noted Natalia Sviridova, a participant in the training and head of the NGO "Yuksak Salohiyat."

EU in Uzbekistan

This two-day training was organized as part of the "EU Tabassum (Smile): Media Skills for Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Young Women in Uzbekistan" project, implemented by DW Akademie in collaboration with the Modern Journalism Development Centre (MJDC), with financial support from the European Union.

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