UN Women Hosts Astana Roundtable on Gender Equality Partnerships

• The UN Women roundtable in Astana was organized on January 28, 2026
• The theme of the meeting was gender equality of women in Central Asia
• The discussions included the help of international partners

On January 28, 2026, UN Women's Central Asia Liaison Office in Kazakhstan convened an event that comprised a procedure called a roundtable meeting under the title "Advancing Partnerships for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Central Asia," with the objective of fostering partnership building among international partners.

This roundtable procedure was a follow-up to the Astana High-Level Meeting that marked the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action held in February 2025. This event was co-hosted with the French Embassy.

During her opening address, the Deputy Regional Director of the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia Elisa Fernandez Saenz underlined the transformation of political commitments into concrete action by enhanced partnerships in search of common priorities with due attention to women and girls’ needs in the region.

On her part, French Ambassador to Kazakhstan Sylvain Guiaugué spoke of France’s commitment to cooperation and coalition in the name of its feminist diplomacy

Recent developments in the region have included the criminalisation of domestic violence in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, the enhancement of protection instruments in Tajikistan, the reinforcement of gender policy in Turkmenistan, and the enhancement of women's participation in politics in Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic.

In recognising these improvements, the participants also underscored the need to step up the pace with more enhanced regional coordination and partnerships, as well as better aligning priorities to underpin the importance of gender equality and the women's rights movement.

The discussions held to date have also highlighted the importance of developing alternative funding sources, as well as establishing strong and sustainable partnerships at all levels (public, private, non-governmental).

These partnerships are necessary in order to promote long-term sustainability and change in resource-limited settings.

The importance of the UN Women Regional Liaison Office for Central Asia, recently established in December 2025, was also discussed as critical to ensuring that the international and regional frameworks will be aligned in support of the goals of the Beijing + 30 Conference.

Additionally, identified areas of collaboration will continue through both regional and country-based activities. Areas identified include: Women, Peace and Security; women's economic empowerment; gender responsive budgeting; and violence against women.