The online exhibition “Outstanding Women Shaping Central Asia” has reached its final milestone with a curated gallery display on 5 September in Kyrgyzstan, as part of the BOMCA 10 Closing Conference.
This initiative, launched in 2023 during the Programme’s 20th anniversary, highlighted inspiring stories of women whose professional achievements contribute to border management, security, regional and cross-border cooperation as well as to community development. The first phase celebrated 16 stories from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, while the second phase in 2025 expanded the focus to include civil society representatives, resulting in 45 stories across the themes of “Leadership“, “Innovation“ and “Competence“ featuring achievements by female civil servants, law enforcement officers and non-governmental activists. Many of the stories highlight the pivotal role of BOMCA in shaping their professional journeys.
The exhibition concluded with a special display that brought these portraits and stories to life, allowing participants and guests to connect with the women behind the achievements. The conference gathered more than 130 distinguished attendees, including representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and national agencies of the five Central Asian countries, the Delegation of the European Union to Kyrgyzstan, embassies of EU Member States, international organisations, as well as the BOMCA Thematic and Associated Partners. A particularly meaningful moment was the presence of some of the women featured in the exhibition themselves: a powerful celebration of their courage and contributions.
Concluding the initiative with an exhibition at the Regional Conference, BOMCA 10 and Component 4 spotlighted the importance of gender equality and inclusiveness in decision-making, noting the key role of women in shaping the future of Central Asia. Their journeys now stand as a source of inspiration for new generations of professionals across the region.
The online version of the exhibition is available here