Wide opportunities are being created for girls to study from school to higher education. At the initiative of the President, the number of students has increased several times in recent years, with higher education coverage exceeding 40% by 2024, from 9% in 2016. Special benefits have been established for girls when entering higher education. In order to increase the number of female scientists, the educational contracts of girls who have entered the master's programs of universities will be paid. Progressive projects are being implemented, such as "Girls of the Digital Generation," and so on.
Uzbekistan has also made great strides in the field of gender equality in recent years. The proportion of women in parliament and the Senate has increased. These reforms are positively assessed not only within the country, but also in the international arena.
It is necessary to appreciate them. This is not just about supporting women, but something more, an important factor for the development of Uzbekistan.
Secularism is a matter of life and death for us
The experiences of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan are fundamentally contradictory. In one place, a society where science, education, and women's rights are restricted; in another, a state that is stepping into development based on the principle of secularism.
Secularism is not a denial of religion. This is a guarantee of equal and fair organization of state affairs for all citizens. In a secular state, everyone can practice their religious beliefs, but they do not replace the law. The law is a criterion acceptable to everyone.
Therefore, secularism is not only a political, but also a vital necessity in the 21st century. States that adhere to it achieve stability, peace, and development. Those who lose it will remain in darkness and crisis for many years.
The conclusion is: The Taliban's decision to "prohibit books written by women" is one of the most severe scientific and spiritual restrictions today. The consequences for Afghanistan will be a shortage of personnel, economic decline, international isolation, and most importantly, the intellectual poverty of future generations.
Uzbekistan, on the contrary, is steadily moving along the path of development through the principle of secularism and the policy of gender equality. Opening the way for girls' education and supporting women's participation in social and political life is the most important guarantee of future development.
Secularism and science are not only a constitutional norm, but also a value of vital importance for our people.
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