In partnership with the Women’s Democratic Network, the United States will sponsor a national women’s conference, “Expanding Leadership Opportunities for Women,” at the Jannat Hotel in Bishkek on June 2-3. This initiative is supported by USAID in cooperation with the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute.
The conference will bring national and local women leaders, members of Parliament, entrepreneurs, health and legal experts, and civil society activists together to discuss challenges facing women and find solutions to overcome these challenges. Featured guest speakers will include U.S. Ambassador Sheila Gwaltney, Congresswoman Dina Titus, and Congresswoman Susan Davis.
Congresswomen Titus and Davis are visiting the Kyrgyz Republic as part of the House Democracy Partnership, a bipartisan commission of the U.S. House of Representatives that works directly with partner countries around the world to support the development of effective, independent, and responsive legislative institutions. The U.S. Congress and the Jogorku Kenesh have been partners in this program since 2012.
The conference sessions will cover:
Challenging Gender Perceptions: Expanding Beyond the Typical “Women’s” Subjects and Practice Areas
- The Case for Instituting Gender Quotas in Kyrgyzstan: Why/Why Not and the Next Steps
- Barriers to Women’s Economic Opportunities & Benefits of Increased Economic Access
- Workshops on: Public Speaking/Presentation, NGO/CSO Outreach to New Target Groups and Demographics, Gender-Based Budgeting, and Running a Campaign
- Creating Support Network among Women
- Collaborative Partnership: Forum for Women in Parliament & Women’s Democracy Network
- Where to Go From Here?
The conference is open to invited guests and registered press. For more information, contact Aisuluu Akunova by phone 0312-90-14-60, 0555-74-57-47 or by e-mail aakunova@iri.org.
The National Women’s Conference is one of many initiatives supported by the United States through USAID in the Kyrgyz Republic. Learn more at https://www.usaid.gov/kyrgyz-republic.
