CHANGE Program Launched in Ashgabat to Promote Gender Equality
The national component of the international program CHANGE ("Promoting the Transformation of Social Attitudes and Norms for Gender Equality") was presented in Ashgabat. The program is implemented by the UNDP and UNFPA with support from the European Union. With a budget of 5.2 million euros, this regional project spans Central Asian countries and aims to foster inclusive economic policy and improve social institutions.
The program will primarily focus on research and methodological support. The UNDP and UNFPA will assist national partners in conducting a large-scale time-use survey to assess employment patterns, as well as in researching the informal labor market. The analytical data obtained will help develop practical recommendations for expanding access to vocational education and retraining, and for creating conditions that allow young people to realize their entrepreneurial potential.
As noted by Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan, the economic empowerment of women serves as a natural driver for the sustainable growth of the entire national economy. In turn, Kemal Goshliyev, Head of the UNFPA Office, and Maciej Adam Madalinski, representative of the EU Delegation, underscored the importance of strengthening the expert and analytical foundation for the development of institutions that promote equal opportunities.
The CHANGE initiative is integrated into the implementation of Turkmenistan’s national priorities aimed at achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals—primarily SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).
