WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY: COMBATING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the legal transformation of the system for protecting women's rights and ensuring gender equality in the Republic of Uzbekistan in the period 2019–2026. The study covers the path from the formation of the basic legislative framework in 2019 (Laws No ZRU-561 and No ZRU-562) to the full-scale criminalization of domestic violence in April 2023, which made Uzbekistan the fifth country in the region. which enshrined this norm in the Criminal Code. The report takes a closer look at the mechanisms of the protection order and the statistics of its application, demonstrating a significant increase in women's activity in defending their rights: in the first half of 2025, more than 55,000 orders were issued. Particular attention is paid to institutional changes, in particular the activities of the National Agency for Social Protection and Inson Centers, as well as the reforms of 2026 aimed at automating social payments and state insurance of maternity benefits for the private sector. Despite significant progress, the remaining barriers are analyzed: the practice of conciliation of parties in courts, incorrect identification of reactive aggression and the influence of patriarchal traditions on law enforcement.