Key aspects of promoting gender equality

On March 26, 2026, a conference dedicated to interparliamentary dialogue on promoting gender equality and strengthening its legislative foundations was held in Ashgabat. The forum was attended by leaders of the Mejlis, representatives of relevant ministries and sectoral agencies, as well as reputable international organizations, representatives of several countries, and the media.

During the conference, participants discussed priority areas of international efforts aimed at ensuring gender equality.

Special attention in the speeches was given to Turkmenistan’s ongoing work to consistently fulfill its international obligations in the field of women’s rights and gender equality, as well as the provisions of relevant international conventions.

In this context, it was emphasized that strengthening and improving the legislative framework for all aspects of gender equality is one of the pressing tasks of our time. The participants also discussed expanding activities in this area, including the modernization of national mechanisms for protecting women’s rights and the intensification of interparliamentary cooperation. Particular emphasis was placed on the implementation of the next cycle of the National Action Plan for Gender Equality for 2026–2030.

As noted by the speakers, Turkmenistan’s peace-oriented foreign policy, initiated by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, and successfully implemented by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, is aimed at strengthening the foundations of universal stability and broad international partnership.

The conference also highlighted the importance of developing systematic dialogue with reputable international organizations. In the context of ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men, the significance of applying best global practices to improve the national legal and institutional framework in this field was underlined.

Emphasizing the importance of joint efforts to successfully address the tasks aimed at promoting universal gender equality, the participants of the conference, held in a productive atmosphere, expressed support for continuing the practice of regular meetings, seminars, and forums in this area. In this regard, a significant role is also assigned to interparliamentary cooperation.

The conference then continued in sectional format, covering various aspects of the agenda. Issues related to the role of parliamentarians in implementing generally recognized norms of international law in promoting gender equality and women’s rights were examined.

An engaged exchange of views also took place on the role of parliamentarians in strengthening targeted cooperation, as well as on upcoming tasks in this field. Special attention was paid to the results of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).