Uzbekistan advances maternity protection and family-friendly policies

Women continue to perform over three-quarters of unpaid care work, which often goes unnoticed. This limits their chances to fully participate in the economy. Care responsibilities are the biggest barrier stopping many women from joining the workforce. When unpaid care work is shared unevenly between women and men, it slows down women's economic inclusion and widens gender gaps in jobs.

Recognizing these challenges, Uzbekistan has made important progress in improving care policies. This includes ratifying the ILO Convention on Workers with Family Responsibilities (No. 156) and increasing investments in early childhood education and social protection. A new video, created jointly by the ILO and UNFPA in collaboration with the Senate of Oliy Majlis, the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction, the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan and the Confederation of Employers of Uzbekistan, stresses the importance of maternity protection, encourages men's involvement in caregiving and promotes family-friendly policies for fairer care services.

The video is prepared as part of the ILO’s global awareness-raising campaign on Convention No. 183 and men’s role in sharing care responsibilities, working on addressing gender stereotypes and changing mindsets.