International Women’s Day is a time for celebration. It is also a chance to reflect on the progress towards equal rights and opportunities for women and men. This year, the UN’s global theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Financing Gender Equality”. The UN reaffirms that investing in women and girls is one of the best investments the government can make.

Bishkek, 20 February 2008 – The European Commission (EC), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organization (ITC/ILO) are promoting a consultation meeting with key national stakeholders involved in development processes in Un House to discuss gender equality and the shift of the aid architecture toward new, more effective, modalities of development assistance.

5 – 6 November 2007 the UNIFEM CIS Regional Office arranged a visit of Ms. Pramila Patten, Member of the UN Committee on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women to Kyrgyzstan. This visit was arranged upon request of the women’s movement which expressed the need for an enhanced advocacy from the side of UN towards the commitments of the government for implementation of the CEDAW.

December 11-th is observed by international community as International Mountain Day. This initiative was supported by the resolution 553/24 of 10 November 1998, of the UN General Assembly and celebrated each year since 2003.