Supreme Court, Women Judges Association, and UNDP partner to Advance Equal Access to Justice for all in Uzbekistan

July 10, 2026

Group of professionals posing in a conference room; a person in a wheelchair at center. — Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

Tashkent, 10 July 2026 – The Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, together with the Women Judges Association (WJA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organized the first international roundtable that brought together judges, representatives of government institutions, civil society, academia, diplomatic missions, development partners, and international experts to exchange experience on promoting women's leadership in the judiciary, strengthening judicial independence, integrating gender-responsive approaches into judicial practice, and advancing equal access to justice.

While women currently hold approximately 39% of seats in the Legislative Chamber of the Parliament, they account for only around 16% of judges nationwide. Strengthening women's participation in judicial leadership therefore remains an important priority for ensuring that the judiciary reflects the diversity of society and continues to build public confidence in the courts.

The Women Judges Association that was launched in March 2026 serve as a professional platform to support women judges through mentoring, peer learning, professional development, and international cooperation. It also aims to promote judicial ethics, facilitate knowledge exchange, and contribute to the Supreme Judicial Council's goal of increasing the share of women judges to 30% by 2030.

Photograph of a formal panel of women at a conference table, central speaker with glasses. — Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

Opening the event, Robakhon Makhmudova, Chairperson of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan, noted the importance of this organization, "The Association will become a robust institutional platform for the professional development of women judges, enhancing leadership capacity, fostering mentor-mentee traditions, supporting young women lawyers, and expanding international cooperation. At the same time, the Association will play a vital role in developing gender-sensitive judicial practice, strengthening research and analytical activities, and implementing advanced international experiences into national practice."

Akiko Fujii, UNDP Resident Representative in Uzbekistan, mentioned UNDP’s previous work in this area including support to E-SUD digital justice system, law students-led legal clinics, and Women Judges Club, which laid the groundwork for today’s Women Judges Association.

Akiko Fujii also highlighted, “Gender equality is the goal, but also the means of achieving a truly inclusive justice system equally responsive to the needs of all people, and the evidence-based policymaking which is essential for advancing these reforms”.

She referred to the recent research, supported by Finland and the EU, including the Legal Needs Assessment of the population of Uzbekistan, Gender and Corruption in Uzbekistan, and the National Integrity System Assessment, and concluded by reaffirming UNDP's commitment to supporting evidence-based judicial reforms that strengthen the rule of law and improve equal access to justice leaving no one behind.

Group of women in business attire seated in a row at a conference.

Conference room with large screen showing a man in a white shirt speaking; flags nearby.

Conference room with a large slide about Asia and the Pacific; flags flank the screen.

A woman wearing a blue hijab sits at a conference table with other attendees in the background.

Conference room meeting with many attendees around a long table; video screen shows speaker.

The event also featured international perspectives from Ms. Ita Farrelly, District Tribunal Judge of the United Kingdom and Board Member of the International Association of Women Judges, who shared international standards and comparative experience in advancing women's leadership in the judiciary, strengthening judicial independence, and promoting gender-responsive justice through professional judicial networks.

Panel of women at a conference table with microphones and nameplates. — Photo: UNDP Uzbekistan

One of the participants of the roundtable, Feruza Jalilova from “Nihol” NGO providing legal aid, talked about real-life problems that women face when trying to access justice, “What prevents a woman from exercising her right to justice? There is often a gap between a right and an actual opportunity. While building an inclusive and gender-responsive system, our common task is to narrow this gap as much as possible."

She also talked about different practical dimensions of accessibility of justice that need to be taken into account.

Participants also discussed opportunities to further strengthen international cooperation through regional judicial networks, including future collaboration on capacity building, research, peer learning and knowledge exchange among women judges across the Asia-Pacific region.

English