Spring has come to Uzbekistan; it has heated the land with the sun’s warmth, filled everything with tenderness and charm.

International Women\'s Day is celebrated during the first days of spring; this symbolic because spring is a time of the nature\'s renewal, blossom, sowing the seeds for the next harvest. Each region of the country has its particular traditions. And women are distinct from one province to another. They are different, unique and peculiar. The date of March 8 for them is a celebration that symbolizes all that is beautiful - the awakening, the spring, the femininity. This day is celebrated particularly more widely this year since it has been announced as the Year of the Family. This is reasonable, because for Uzbek people from ancient times the image of a woman, who is the guardian of the hearth, family support, has been and remains the symbol of kindness, selflessness and devotion.

These days, celebrations are held in all regions of the country. Lovely women are being congratulated, they are surrounded with special attention and honor. The main celebrations were held in the Turkiston Palace. There were woman who have made great contribution to the prosperity of the motherland by many years of hard work, those who have distinguished themselves by achievements in various fields, venerable mothers, representatives of women\'s committees, employees of various ministries and departments, public organizations, the winner of the State Prize Zulfiya.

All words addressed to them, oh this day, sounded especially emotionally. More heat and sense of high spirits were added by sincere congratulations of President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov on the occasion of March 8. On this occasion the head of state said, \"Our country has always been highly prizing and appreciating your decent work in various fields, from the highest legislative and local representative and executive bodies of power to the judicial system, local authorities, non-government organizations and social agencies, industry and agriculture, private enterprise and farming.\" The holiday was illuminated with smiles andlgo6d mood of grandmothers, mothers, sisters and dear friends. Young artists showed their brilliant talents and skills. Fortunately, our motherland is generous with such wonderful women who combine hard work and love to country which believes, in you and creates all conditions for professional and creative growth. These words were often heard at the celebrations dedicated to this most wonderful holiday.

WHO IS OUR MODERN WOMAN?

She is a strong person who is not afraid of changes and is confident about the future. She combines feminine wisdom and proficiency in solving actual problems. The years of independence have become the period of prosperity in the lives of women of this country. During this time important steps in improving their socio-political activity were made. They increased their role and authority in families, women involvement in achieving various social and state goals has risen. Currently woman is an active participant of all spheres of life in the country. She is a pillar and hope of the society, she symbolizes kindness and mercy.

Past experience confirms that protection of women interests can not be outside the scope of public policy, especially during transitional stages of development. The country implemented step by step national program for the advancement of women in the society. As President Islam Karimov noted, \"Improving the social status of our mothers, sisters, companions of life, daughters, showing respect and honor to them, alleviating their work should be the primary goals for our state, government, local authorities and the general public”.

Government\'s attention to the issues of support and protection for women has been testified by many years devotee to woman\'s development: 1998 - Year of the Family, 1999 - the Year of Women, 2000- The Year of Healthy Generation, 2001- the Year of Mother and Child, 2005 - The Year of Health. It is undoubted that the recently adopted 2012 National Program Year of Family will make a significant contribution to these processes. Under this program, much attention will be given to further improving the system of family, maternal and child health in accordance with the principle \"Healthy mother-healthy child.\" Further improvement of the legal and regulatory framework; making necessary changes and amendment to existing legislation; developing new laws; regulations and rules aimed at the development and improvement of the social institute of family in accordance with modern requirement further strengthening of the public\'s attention to this issue all these are the main directions of the new program.

Over the years of independence, Uzbekistan has ratified more than 60 legal acts on human rights, much of them directly refer to the issues of protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms of women. The Republic of Uzbekistan is one of the first countries in Central Asia which has joined the UN Convention \"On the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women\", International Labor Organization\'s conventions \"On Maternity\", \"On discrimination in employment and occupation\". Today, these documents are part of a whole set of regulations designed to protect the interests of women and enhance its prestige in the society.

On the initiative of the President the current legislation of the country enacts 30 percent quota for women in the total number of candidates nominated by each political party to the Oliy Majlis. Women\'s importance at self-government public institutions (mahalla) rises. There are women\'s councils at all mahallas of the republic. They actively address the problems of women and their families on the ground. There is a post of a consultant on issues of religion, spiritual and moral education at each women\'s council.

WOMAN ENTREPRENEUR

Much has been made to ensure that women can found her place in today\'s complex world. Economic activity of women increases each year. Women currently make up more than 45% of all active workforce of the country. The number of women entrepreneurs grows in the country each year too. Today, there are over 5 million business women who successfully run their business in the republic. Along with the government community organizations also support and protect women\'s interests iri Uzbekistan. Today, there are more than 40 of them in the country. Their projects make a whole range of programs aimed at providing full support to women. Many important organizations contribute to implementation; Women\'s Committee of Uzbekistan, Mehr Nuri Foundation, Republican Public Association Women\'s Assem¬bly, Social Initiatives Support Fund (SISF), National Association of NGOs of Uzbekistan (NANGOUz), Associa¬tion of Business Women of Uzbekistan \"Tadbirkor Ayol\" and many others are among them. All these organizations are constantly working to ad¬dress women\'s issues.

The Fund Forum of Culture and Arts of Uzbekistan makes big support to business activity. Social Initiatives Support Fund with participation of Mehr Nuri Foundation and public organization Women\'s Assembly has implemented a project which provid¬ed micro-credits to women farmers in seven regions of Uzbekistan. Women have opportunity to demonstrate their achievements at annually organized national contest Woman of the Year held by Women\'s Assembly. The main objective pursued by the organizers of the contest is to show women\'s role in the society, because each women whether she is a simple housewife, or a scientist with advanced degrees, makes her own contribution to peace and prosperity of Uzbekistan.

The national contest Woman of the Year held annually the NGO Women\'s Assembly provides an opportunity to successful women to demonstrate their achievements. The main objective is to show the role of women in society, because each of them, whether a housewife or a scientist with advanced degrees, contributes to peace and prosperity of Uzbekistan.

HEALTHY MOTHER -HEALTHY CHILD -HEALTHY GENERATION

Maternal and child health is a key indicator of socio-economic well-being of the country. Preserving the gene pool depends primarily on the health of the mother. It is not accidental that care for maternal and child health is among priority of state\'s policy. To do this, the republic has a highly devel-oped network of specialized medical institutions which ensure maternal and child health.

As president Islam Karimov pointed out in his holiday greetings, it is hard to overestimate the role and place of women in the implementation of most important task of growing healthy and comprehensively developed generation.

Today is no exaggeration to say that the program Healthy Mother-Healthy Child has become a national movement, created a unique health care system which includes prenatal and screening centers, maternity and health centers, thousands of rural health\' units, emergency medical centers and specialized academic medical centers in all regions of the country equipped with modern medical equip¬ment and technologies, which will undoubtedly become a truly historic step toward strengthening the health of our population, especially women and children.

The focus of attention is drawn to reproductive health, maternal and child health. Over the years of independence Uzbekistan has formed an effective system of care for women\'s health. Opening and development of 3,200 rural medical units, rigged with modern medical equipment for obstetrics, elevated the whole system to a new level. No less important contribution to this process are made by monthly conducted sanitation weeks, which are held among women of childbearing age, adolescent girls and children. During these weeks leading experts from regional and republican medical centers arrive to the most remote rural medical stations where they conduct examination and consultation of local population. Those in need are sent for treatment to the leading medical centers.

Programs to provide women with comprehensive tonic and prophylactic drugs are implemented. As a result, women\'s life expectancy has increased from 70 to 74.6 years; the maternal mortality rate has decreased almost three times.

In order to further strengthen the health of women and children an extensive work was carried out on improving the material-technical base of the Republican specialized scientific-practical medical centers of obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, and endocrinology; in the regions the same work was done at regional children’s multipurpose medical centers. Much attention is paid to the development of preventive medicine. The country holds monthly health weeks. During the campaigns, leading experts from national and regional institutions travel to rural medical stations across the country to carry out routine examination of women and children. Prophylaxis helps to prevent many diseases and to escape lack of iodine, iron and other micronutrients. Alongside saturating the market with the food fortified with micronutrients, the country implements programs of distributing vitamin complexes to the population. For example, pregnant women who live in rural areas are provided free with multivitamin complex Komplevit mother.

Countering cancer among women, its timely diagnostics, treatment and prevention have great importance on this path. A number of programs are conducted in this field by Women\'s Assembly, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, National Association of Breast Cancer \"In the Name of Life,\" Fund Forum, Europa Donna-Uzbekistan.

Women\'s Health Support Program is implemented by the Republican Association \"Women\'s Assembly\" since 2008. Various social actions were conducted during the program\'s imple¬mentation process, such as \"Days of women\'s health,\" \"Days of maternal and child health,\" \"Days of Family Health\". During the actions women of childbearing age who surfer from various pathologies were examined; special mobile medical equipment created additional conditions for more rapid and qualitative diagnosis.

Physical training is an important component of recovery. A woman, who goes in for sport, not only helps her own health, but also serves as an example for her children. Therefore the country focuses on the involvement of women into sport. All sport facilities are opened before them. That is why it is not a surprise that the importance of coaches and physical teachers for women is raising. Various competitions among women also promote sport among them. Mothers become an example for their children. Over the past two years, the number of girls involved in artistic gymnastics has tripled. There is an increasing number of young female athletes involved in table tennis, swimming and other sports. Today, girls are active participants of competitions Umid Nihollari, Barkamol Avlod and Universiada.

EDUCATION

Uzbekistan created all conditions for women to find their place in society, to work actively. Various competitions and parades can reveal talents of each of them even during their childhood period. Emphasis is done not only on art. Each girl, growing in Uzbekistan, knows that whatever job she might chosen for herself, she could apply her talents wherever. Representatives of the fair sex have all opportunities in Uzbekistan to get a good education, to develop their inborn talents, to find and fulfill themselves. It is not accidental that the winners of the State Prize of Zulfiya, a contest among young girls who have distinguished themselves in poetry, art, culture, science and education, are announced on the eve of International Women\'s Day.

In accordance with the national program of training, all children were provided equal conditions for education. Vocational education is not only available but also mandatory. It is realized through the full enrollment of children in secondary schools, academic lyceums and professional colleges.

It is also important that the country has created twelve-year compulsory education system which helps to ensure that every girl could step on the path of independent and adult life, having been educated and possessing a diploma of specialist. Many graduates of colleges and high schools continue their education in higher educational institutions. In some areas of education girls make up more than half of the total number of students.

It is impossible to image science in Uzbekistan without women. Nearly ten of thousands of women scientists are currently developing new methods of diagnostics and treatment, modern teaching approaches to the education of the younger generation. According to experts, the number of women scientists working in the fields of physics, chemistry and even engineering is increasing from year to year.

Non-profit non-governmental and public organizations play important role in the professional development of women; they implement various educational programs. For example, there are many clubs, associations and centers, which actively and successfully operate at Women\'s Committee. Thus, the Women Leaders Club opens leadership qualities of women at full length, develops leadership skills and improves staff managing. The Club of Talented Girls, which unifies 700 talented girls, organizes each year national forums where participants demonstrate and discuss their achievements. Centers for Social Adaptation of Women provide psychological and legal support, teach entrepreneurial and professional skills and assist in job placement.

The respect which woman posses in modern society of Uzbekistan, proves that women\'s knowledge, carried through their whole life, are very much appreciated. Women should keep pace with the times and do not forget their essence role in life to be guardian of hearth. After all, their main purpose in this life is to be wives and mothers. From generation to generation they transmit accumulated wisdom and experience. Our tradition to celebrate Women\'s Day, when every woman is surrounded by special attention and love, is beautiful. As one ancient philosopher once said, \"The attitude towards women is the thinnest gauge of honor, conscience, decency, honor and high school of educating sensibility.\" (Source: Uzbekistan Today Newspaper)