On December 24, 2019, a meeting was held between the Senate Chairperson Tanzila Narbayeva and the President/European Women's Lobby Board member for Italy Maria Ludovica Bottarelli Tranquilli-Leali, who arrived in Uzbekistan as an international observer in the parliamentary elections.

During the conversation, the guest noted that over the past three years the country has become much more open and is rapidly moving along the path of democracy. The vector of development of civil society is especially noticeable, which was reflected in the voting process in the parliamentary elections. 

The international observer appreciated the organizational level of the elections. 

“As an international observer, I can say that the election process was very open and transparent. The enthusiasm and joy with which citizens reacted to the voting process is impressive. We visited the Jizzakh region. Even at the most remote polling stations, there were all conditions for voters, their active participation pleased me,” Maria Ludovica Bottarelli Tranquilli-Leali noted.

Speaking about cooperation on the protection of women’s rights, the parties exchanged views on ways to achieve gender equality. In particular, it was emphasized that the mahalla institution, which is an important link in maintaining the best values, strengthening the family and unity in society, can become an important tool in this regard. In this context, the directions of further improvement of the legislation in the field of achieving gender equality and comprehensive support for women were discussed.