From March 2 to 3, in Dushanbe, in cooperation with the Committee on women and the family under the Government of Tajikistan (Committee), the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA 10) organised a Forum of female leaders from the Tajik border regions and state partner to attract more attention to the challenges encountered by women residing in the border areas and to brainstorm on how the government and female activists can work together to address such challenges.

The focus discussions enabled participants and expert team to analyse difficulties faced by women in the border areas, whereas thematic workshop sessions provided tools for empowerment and boosting potential of female leaders and female staff of the Committee.

As a result, the analysed needs and challenges of women living in the border areas and the ideas on women support that can be implemented jointly by the female activists from the border regions and the Committee on women and the family will be summarised in a report intended for programming of the Committee activities, BOMCA 10 Programme’s follow-up capacity building and actions carried out by local NGOs with the BOMCA 10 support.

The Forum was organised in the framework of the Programme’s Component 4, “Improvement of Cross-Border Cooperation”, which is aimed at improving the living conditions of people in border areas through local economic development, with a focus on human rights, gender equality and vulnerable groups.