UN Women and ACWA Power Partner to Advance Gender Equality in Uzbekistan – The Times Of Central Asia

Report on the UN Women and ACWA Power Partnership for Sustainable Development in Uzbekistan

1.0 Introduction: A Public-Private Partnership for the Goals (SDG 17)

UN Women and ACWA Power Uzbekistan have established a landmark 12-month partnership, representing the first collaboration between a United Nations agency and a private sector entity in Uzbekistan. This initiative directly supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly through multi-stakeholder partnerships as outlined in SDG 17. ACWA Power has committed a financial contribution of $50,000 to facilitate the project’s objectives.

2.0 Project Objectives and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

The partnership is designed to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment through UN Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) programme. The core objectives are intrinsically linked to several key SDGs:

1. Advancing Gender Equality (SDG 5)

   The primary focus of the collaboration is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. This is addressed through:

   • Gender equality training and leadership development programs to ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership (Target 5.5).
   • Capacity-building initiatives focused on the prevention of gender-based violence, contributing to the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls (Target 5.2).
   • The organization of a national Women’s Empowerment Forum to foster dialogue and policy advancement.

2. Promoting Quality Education (SDG 4)

   The project aims to enhance educational opportunities by launching a pilot Gender Equality Curriculum at Shirin College. This initiative supports SDG 4 by promoting knowledge and skills needed for sustainable development, including through education for gender equality (Target 4.7).

3. Fostering Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

   A central goal is to strengthen women’s participation in the labor market. By creating fairer opportunities and safer workplaces, the partnership promotes full and productive employment and decent work for all women (Target 8.5) and contributes to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

3.0 Implementation and Strategic Context

The project’s implementation leverages the unique strengths of each partner in pursuit of the SDGs.

• UN Women: Provides technical expertise and training to support the project’s alignment with international best practices and Uzbekistan’s national gender equality goals.
• ACWA Power: Oversees project implementation and provides the necessary funding, demonstrating a corporate commitment to advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This partnership is strategically aligned with Uzbekistan’s national reform agenda, including the Strategy for Achieving Gender Equality 2030 and the National Programme for Increasing the Activity of Women in Economic, Political, and Social Life (2022-2026). By supporting these national frameworks, the collaboration reinforces the country’s commitment to achieving SDG 5 and other related development targets.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   This is the central theme of the article. The partnership between UN Women and ACWA Power is explicitly designed to “promote women’s empowerment” and “accelerate progress on gender equality.” The initiatives mentioned, such as gender equality training, leadership development, and preventing gender-based violence, directly contribute to achieving this goal.

2. SDG 4: Quality Education

   The article highlights education as a key component of the partnership. The project aims to “strengthen women’s participation in education” and includes the “launch of a pilot Gender Equality Curriculum at Shirin College.” This focus on inclusive and equitable education, particularly for women, aligns directly with SDG 4.

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   The project supports UN Women’s “Economic Empowerment (WEE) programme” and aims to “strengthen women’s participation in the labor market.” By promoting “fairer opportunities” and “safer workplaces,” the initiative seeks to ensure women have full and productive employment, which is a core aspect of SDG 8.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   The article describes a “landmark agreement” that marks the “first-ever collaboration between a United Nations agency and a private company in Uzbekistan.” This public-private partnership, where a private company (ACWA Power) contributes funding and a UN agency (UN Women) provides technical expertise to achieve national development goals, is a perfect example of the multi-stakeholder collaboration promoted by SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls

   The article explicitly states that the project includes “capacity-building in gender-based violence prevention,” which directly addresses this target.

2. Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership

   The partnership’s focus on “leadership development” for women and its goal to broaden “women’s participation in education, public service, and the economy” are directly aligned with ensuring women have equal opportunities for leadership and participation in economic and public life.

3. Target 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access

   The project’s aim to “strengthen women’s participation in education” and create “equal opportunities” directly supports the elimination of gender disparities in education.

4. Target 4.7: Ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including gender equality

   The “launch of a pilot Gender Equality Curriculum at Shirin College” is a specific action to equip learners with the knowledge and skills needed to promote gender equality, directly contributing to this target.

5. Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men

   The initiative supports the “Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) programme” and aims to “strengthen women’s participation in the labor market” by creating “fairer opportunities” and “safer workplaces,” which aligns with the goal of achieving decent work for all.

6. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships

   The collaboration between UN Women (a public/UN entity) and ACWA Power (a private company) is a clear example of the public-private partnership model that this target aims to promote.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not mention official SDG indicator codes, but it implies several qualitative and quantitative indicators that could be used to measure the project’s success:

1. Implementation of gender equality education

   The successful “launch of a pilot Gender Equality Curriculum at Shirin College” serves as a direct indicator of progress towards Target 4.7.

2. Participation in empowerment programs

   The number of women who participate in the “gender equality training” and “leadership development” programs can be used as an indicator to measure progress towards Target 5.5.

3. Establishment of partnerships and financial commitments

   The signing of the agreement itself and the financial contribution of “$50,000” from ACWA Power are concrete indicators of a functioning public-private partnership under Target 17.17.

4. Capacity building for violence prevention

   The number of individuals or institutions that undergo “capacity-building in gender-based violence prevention” can serve as an indicator for progress on Target 5.2.

5. Increased participation in the labor market

   An increase in the rate of “women’s participation in the labor market” as a result of the WEE programme would be a key indicator for Target 8.5.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: timesca.com