By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee 

A delegation from the Committee of Family and Women of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which is directly under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, visited the Seoul Foundation of Women & Family (CEO Park Jung-sook) on Feb. 6 to share examples of Seoul's women and family policies and discuss ways to cooperate between the two organizations.

The meeting was held at 4 p.m. at Seoul Women's Plaza and was attended by Park Jung-sook, CEO of the Seoul Foundation of Women and Family (SFWF), and Ms. Mukharam Nurmatova, Deputy Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Women's Social Committee.

The SFWF was established in 2002 and operates various policies and programs to realize gender equality and support work, care, and safety for women and families.

It is strengthening gender equality policies and the response system to violence against women, and is also building a support system to activate women's economic activities to solve the problem of low birthrate.

The Committee of Family and Women of the Republic of Uzbekistan is a committee under the Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Labor of the Republic of Uzbekistan that develops national policies related to family and women and plays a role in addressing gender equality and women-related issues.

The meeting began with greetings from CEO Park Jung-sook and Vice Chairperson Mukharam Nurmatova, and Seoul's women and family policies and the main projects of the SFWF were introduced.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to compare Uzbekistan's women's policy direction with Seoul's experience and explore practical ways of cooperation.

After the meeting, the delegation visited Seoul Women's Plaza and Seoul Family Plaza, where they visited support organizations for victims of violence against women, such as the Seoul Digital Sexual Crime Safety Center, and spaces for children and rearers.

Through the visit, the Uzbek delegation expressed that the gender equality policies and women and family support programs of the SFWF will be useful references for the development of their own policies.

“The cooperation with Uzbekistan has provided an opportunity to expand international exchanges in the field of women and family policies,” said CEO Park Jung-sook. ”We will continue to actively develop policies and support systems for women and families in Seoul.”

“It was a meaningful visit to see firsthand the advanced women's and family policies and programs in Seoul,” said Mukharram Nurmatova. ”Based on this, we will strive to introduce more effective women and family and gender equality policies in Uzbekistan.”

The SFWF, which is celebrating its 22nd anniversary this year, operates a variety of projects to realize a gender-equal and happy city of Seoul, including responding to low birthrates, supporting childcare, and creating jobs for women. It also provides a safe and equal environment for citizens through the Seoul Women's Plaza and Seoul Family Plaza. For more information, please visit the official website.