During the UN campaign "16 days of activism against gender-based violence" by the Gender Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry for the Support of Mahalla and Family and the United Nations Development Program, as part of the support of the Government of Sweden in frame of the joint project “Empowering women to participate in public administration and socio-economic life”, a series of online consultations was organized for women and young girls to receive help from a professional lawyer and psychologist.

While ensuring the protection of victims of gender-based violence, it is necessary to increase the legal literacy of the population. For this purpose, on the website of the Gender Commission and the official page of the Ministry of Mahalla, as well as on social networks, the answers of the professional lawyer Gulnora Ishankhanova to important questions on the topic of gender-based violence and its prevention, housing and family issues were posted. In addition, sign language interpretation of these consultations was provided to improve the legal literacy of persons with disabilities on gender-based violence.

The lawyer's answers cover such topics as the rights of victims of violence, the measures taken against the abuser, the types of assistance provided to victims of violence, the process of obtaining a protection order, the time frame for considering an appeal on violence, and more. Also, the functions of inspectors of internal affairs for women and employees of the system of the ministry of mahalla were clarified, and the consultant explained what needs to be done if they do not fulfill their duties. In addition, procedural issues related to the rights to children and property during divorce were considered.

Victims of violence need not only legal assistance, but they also need to receive timely psychological support. In this regard, audio and video materials were prepared to improve psychological health, stimulate personal development and strengthen family relationships. Psychological consultations were carried out by a professional psychologist Aziza Tashkhodjaeva. She notes that during the pandemic, more than 100 women approached her with such problems that their relatives did not allow them to study or work, or they were afraid to tell about their illness or case of violence on time. One of the important topics in psychological counseling was the issue of women's self-sufficiency. The psychologist shared the golden rules of self-love. In addition, recommendations were given on what to do if a person has become a victim of violence, when experiencing stressful situations, how to establish good relations in the family or how to raise children correctly.

It should be noted that for the first time, sign language interpretation was provided for consultations with a psychologist, so that people with disabilities could also receive important information on how to cope with psychological stress.