A significant progress has been achieved with regard to gender equality and empowerment of women in Uzbekistan, a press release of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on World Population Day said.

World Population Day marked on 11 July. This day World Community together with UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, marks successes and existing problems in achieving goals set out by the United Nations in the Historical Millennium Declaration.

One of the main goals in the agenda of the Millennium Declaration, as well as the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development is promoting gender equality and empowerment of women.

The release said a significant progress has been achieved with regard to gender equality and empowerment of women in Uzbekistan; however, a lot still have to be done and now is the time to energize efforts to put gender equality at the top of the development agenda in Uzbekistan.

?Since 1993 United Nations Population Fund provides assistance to Uzbekistan to further ameliorate quality of reproductive health care; ensure wider access to reproductive health information and services; strengthen legislation promoting women?s health and empowerment; improve access to modern contraceptives,? the release added.

The release said: ?Equality benefits everyone. Where girls have equal opportunity to education, societies become more prosperous. Where women have equal access to income, assets and services, families become healthier. When both men and women are able to participate equally and exercise their full human rights, including reproductive rights, the world benefits.?

?Reproductive health and rights ? such as the right to decide on the number, timing and spacing of children ? are central to women?s empowerment and gender equality. Achieving access to reproductive health and rights is essential to women?s enjoyment of other human rights, including the rights to education, health and full participation in political, economic, social and cultural life,? it added.