The United Nations General Assembly convened for a special session during the week of June 5-9 to discuss the status of women worldwide. More than ten thousand people--including official delegations and non-governmental organizations from Central Asia—participated in panels, workshops and special events throughout New

York City to evaluate progress made and obstacles remaining since the1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. At that conference, 189 governments signed the Beijing Platform of Action, a groundbreaking document that identifies twelve critical areas of concern for women, including poverty, education, health, violence, the economy, the environment, human rights and others.

Five years later, many countries have not yet implemented their promises. Central Asia offers a mixed record. Dilbar Gulyamova, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, told the assembly that her country has created a national mechanism for the protection of women’s rights and implemented programs for improving the status of women. She said that the state has created between 280,000 to 300,000 new jobs, of which women occupy 40 percent. "As the result of this pursued policy," she said, "today women occupy over 45 percent of all active labor resources in the country. Women work in all leading branches of the industrial sectors, including light industry, agriculture, transportation, construction, communication, and spheres of public education, public health service and culture."

However, this rosy view contrasts with statistics published in a new United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) report, which notes that women’s share of work as an employers or as a self-employed person is rising in all regions except Northern Africa and Central Asia. Reports from the non-governmental sector suggest that many problems exist for the region’s women. Last July, Kyrgyzstan hosted the International Conference on Women’s Rights, which pointed to three critical areas that the Central Asian governments have not adequately addressed: violence against women, women and the economy, and women in power and decision-making.

NGOs report that women in Central Asia have borne the brunt of the economic transition, and have been among the first to lose their jobs and work beneath their skill level. Tensions in Central Asian society are reflected in violence statistics. In Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, NGO-run crisis centers have noted a spike in domestic violence cases. Yet, despite the prevalence of the problem, NGOs say their governments fail to acknowledge domestic violence and violence against women in Central Asia remains "hidden." The conference provided an opportunity for women from Central Asia to develop networks with their peers, hear success stories, and take lessons to implement in their home countries.

Beatrice Hogan, former Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan, graduate of Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, and author for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Weekday Magazine and the United Nations Chronicle.