TURKISTAN, Kazakhstan - 26-29 March, 2023 the first UNFPA -Spotlight debate tournament was organized among international teams representing five Central Asian countries. 50 participants representing active youth, who possess previous debate experience participated in the debates tournament.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most systematic and widespread human rights violations. The impact of violence for women and girls ranges from immediate to long term physical, sexual and mental health consequences. It has immense personal, societal and economic costs all around the globe: from greater health care and legal expenses to productivity losses. Gender equality and empowerment of women is central for the achievement of full human potential and sustainable development—with the elimination of violence against women being a crucial component.
Gender-based violence is one of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world. It knows no social, economic or national boundaries. Worldwide, an estimated one in three women will experience physical or sexual abuse in her lifetime. Gender-based violence undermines the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims, yet it remains shrouded in a culture of silence.
UNFPA, as a lead agency in working to respond to and reduce gender-based violence, supports programmes in over 150 countries and territories worldwide in humanitarian, peace and development settings.
United Nations with support of European Union is implementing the Spotlight Initiative aimed at elimination all forms of violence against women and girls, including harmful practices, by 2030. The Spotlight Initiative Regional Program for 5 Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, is part of a global initiative funded by the European Union in more than 32 countries and regions of the world to address all forms of violence against women. In Central Asia and Afghanistan, the program focuses on strengthening efforts to end sexual and gender-based violence as well as harmful practices (early marriages and bride kidnapping) against women and girls.
Each of the Spotlight Initiative programme is designed to address existing gaps in policies and legislation on prevention of violence, aims to strengthen institutions, promote gender equality, and change gender stereotypes in society, effectively provide services for survivors of violence, and support local women's movements. Significant attention is paid to improving the methods of data collection and improving the quality of gender statistics. The implementation of these programs is built on the principle of "no one is left behind" which is embedded in the universal, comprehensive, and transformative plan called the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to eradicate poverty and build a more sustainable world.
Pillar 3 of the programme is focused on changing social norms, gender stereotypes and fight against harmful practices. Within this pillar UNFPA is planning activities to work with youth and involve them as men and boys and religious leaders in prevention of GBV.
Considering this, the organization of the First regional debates tournament among the youth of five Central Asian countries was aimed to raise awareness of GBV issues within the student communities, raise their communication skills, mobilizing youth efforts in seeking ways to prevent violence and consolidate peace. Moreover, the debates tournament allowed for better cooperation between the CA countries' students communities and formulation of the GBV prevention regional grassroot agenda.
Main objectives of the tournament were:
- Sensitize students from five Central Asian countries on the issues of GBV prevention and elimination, harmful practices, and changing of social norms;
- Raise the capacities of young people in communication of GBV topics;
- Mobilize students from the CA region to act upon GBV cases within their communities and become advocates for GBV elimination in the region;
- Organize the First regional debates tournament among youth, having debates around the ways to eliminate violence and harmful practices in the region;
- Identify the best practices of engaging youth from Central Asian countries for advancing gender equality and prevention of GBV
- Exchange of knowledge and experience, and encourage networking between the youth of Central Asian countries.
Madina Khamrove (Uzbekistan) shared her impressions on the tournament: "I gained a lot of experience from each part of the debate and from peers from different countries. I understood the different types of debates and how to be a good speaker; I got that from other participants. "
