The Uzgen district, located in southern Kyrgyzstan, comprises 107 villages and nearly 290,000 residents. Gulkan Zhoroeva, chairperson of the Women's Council, village council deputy, and member of the Public Consultative Councils (PСCs), is actively involved here.

She assists women victims of domestic violence, providing support, protection, and legal assistance to residents of various villages. Her work contributes to building trust in local institutions and strengthening the role of women in community life.

From December 2023 to December 2025, a joint UNDP-UNESCO project, supported by the UN Peacebuilding Fund, is being implemented in the Kyrgyz Republic in partnership with government agencies and civil society. The project aims to strengthen social cohesion and develop peacebuilding initiatives, ensuring the meaningful participation of women and youth in their communities. 

Gulkan's work within the PСCs demonstrates how such platforms can implement the strategic priorities of the National Development Programme of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2030. These priorities include strengthening the civic identity "Kyrgyz Jarany," developing civic culture, fostering youth activism, and promoting the equal participation of all population groups in socio-economic, cultural, and public life.

Through her work within the PСCs, Gulkan initiated a number of practical measures: organizing a consultation corner for women in crisis situations at the aiyl okmotu, creating self-help groups for single mothers and women who have experienced violence, conducting prevention sessions for girls in schools, and incorporating women's initiatives into district socio-economic development plans.

"It's especially important to me that women who have experienced violence find in me a person they trust. They know their story will be heard and that they can count on support and protection," Gulkan shares. 

The project places particular emphasis on reforming community councils (CCs) as dialogue platforms at the district and city levels. These bring together government officials, local community residents, women, youth, and the elderly. In collaboration with government agencies, district administrations, and local governments, the councils monitor the situation and promptly identify potential risks, preventing conflicts through dialogue and collaborative solution-finding.

The project also supported the development of the PСCs Regulations, and work plans. All 23 PСCs operating in Kyrgyzstan use the methodological materials developed under the project, and seven pilot councils—including Uzgen—are conducting in-depth capacity building.

In Uzgen, PСCs meetings are held regularly, discussing issues specific to individual villages and problems affecting the entire district. One of the recent topics is the landfill issue, which has raised concerns among local residents. Council members proposed allocating funds for fencing the area, cleaning it, and installing TV cameras to ease tensions and prevent potential conflicts. "To prevent tensions between the ethnic groups living in our region, we contacted the Uzgen mayor's office to resolve the problem with the landfill and wastewater flowing from it," says the activist.

Before holding offline meetings, members of the Local Coordination Council (LCC) work online via instant messaging apps. Here, they discuss the most pressing issues, create agendas, develop practical proposals, record them in minutes, and submit them to the relevant authorities.

"The goal of the Local Coordination Council (LCC) is not only to prevent misunderstandings and conflicts but also to strengthen trust among residents. I'm glad we have local dialogue platforms that include representatives of different ethnic groups, religions, and government officials. Having representatives of akims and mayors on our team allows us to respond quickly and influence decision-making," notes Gulkan. 

For her, peace isn't just the absence of armed conflict, but also a willingness to listen to one another, respect different points of view, and unite around solutions that benefit the entire community. "Community advisory councils build trust, without which there is no stability or harmony," she emphasizes.