Authors: Ainagul Abdrakhmanova and Nazgul Asangojoeva-Baekova

7 September 2023, Bishkek - In contemporary society, gender policy issues are gaining increasing importance and relevance. The initiative to introduce gender education into higher education plays a pivotal role in shaping highly qualified personnel for government and municipal service. The essence of this initiative lies in providing students and future public servants with knowledge of gender aspects of society and gender equality. Within the "Spotlight" initiative, integrating gender education into higher education is crucial in shaping quality government and municipal service personnel. One of the representatives of this initiative is Elmira Arapova, the Vice-Rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (APAPKR).

Having undergone training in Gender-Action Learning Systems (GALS) along with 15 other participants, Elmira Arapova incorporates the acquired knowledge and methodologies into her teaching activities. Specifically, Elmira teaches specialized subjects such as "Gender Policy for Government and Municipal Administrators," "Prevention of Gender-Based Violence by Public Servants," and "Legal Foundations of Gender Policy," aimed at preparing specialists in the respective areas.

"We use GALS tools and incorporate them into our educational disciplines. Since last year, we have also introduced an elective course called 'Civics' for first-year students, including a section dedicated to gender education. It is vital to note the opening of gender courses at APAPKR, which has become a landmark event in education."

UNDP and the Public Foundation "Education for Community Development" have worked on enhancing gender sensitivity in legal education and raising awareness among students and educators about sexual and gender-based violence and the role of a gender perspective in preventing violence.

As a result of this collaboration, gender-transformative modules have been integrated into the curricula of four leading universities in Kyrgyzstan: The Kyrgyz State Law Academy (KSLA), Kyrgyz National University (KNU), the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic (APAKR), and Osh State University (OshSU) in seven subjects taught at law departments.

It is worth noting that although access to justice and quality support services are crucial to meeting the needs of women and girls experiencing violence, efforts to prevent it are vital in creating an environment where violence is unacceptable. Sustainable transformations require preventing violence at both the individual and relationship levels. There is increasing evidence that the level of violence can be significantly reduced through investments in behavior change educational programs that promote women's rights at all levels and recognize the pivotal role of education in shaping the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of girls and boys.

The motto "Strong Personnel - Strong Nation" has never been more relevant than it is today. Training gender-informed and gender-sensitive professionals are the key to Kyrgyzstan's successful development in the future.

About the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative:

In January 2020, in partnership with the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, the EU and UN launched a multi-year country program within the global Spotlight Initiative to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. The program aims to create an environment where all women and girls in Kyrgyzstan, especially the most vulnerable, live free from violence and harmful practices, including child marriages and "ala kachuu" (bride abduction). The program includes a complex set of integrated measures in policy and legislation, institution strengthening, violence prevention, SGBV survivors support services, data collection, and support for women's movements and civil society. The program is implemented by five UN agencies (UN Women, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, and UNODC) under the overall guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic.

For more information, please contact Ainagul Abdrakhmanova, Head of Communications, UNDP, ainagul.abdrakhmanova@undp.org, +996 770 755-776.