181 AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education www. grnjournal.us AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education Volume 02, Issue 05, 2024 ISSN (E): 2993-2769 Raising Awareness on Discrimination Issues in Uzbekistan (Social Issues, Gender Inequality) Sevara Erdanova Senior Teacher of the Department of Uzbek and Foreign Languages, Tashkent State University of Economics Marjona Ikromova Student on Economics, Tashkent State University of Economics Fatima Khasanova Student on Economics, Tashkent State University of Economics Abstract. Living in the 21st century a lot of people think that they are living in a fully developed world. However, very few people know that there are still so many places in the world where people suffer because of the injustice in their lives. The problems with inequality and discrimination exist up to our days, and in some places, it is more severe than in others. In my opinion, the topic of social inequality is essential in order to make the world a better place for everyone. Key words: awareness., discrimination Introduction Living in the 21st century a lot of people think that they are living in a fully developed world. However, very few people know that there are still so many places in the world where people suffer because of the injustice in their lives. The problems with inequality and discrimination exist up to our days, and in some places, it is more severe than in others. In my opinion, the topic of social inequality is essential in order to make the world a better place for everyone. One of the major social problems that we are facing these days is discrimination and inequality. I think that cases of inequality are a common problem both among adults and teenagers. A lot of the time at school I notice that students separate into groups by race, ethnicity, and appearance and stick only with that group of students in the halls, corridors, common rooms, and even classes. Different or more introverted students are considered the minority part of the school and they are the ones who suffer a lot because of the discrimination. I used to think that discrimination and bullying of any kind happen because of teenagers' immaturity, and this behavior disappears when they grow older. However, as I enter new communities I see cases of discrimination even in groups of grown-up people. The famous saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" seems not to work at all. A lot of people say that it does not matter to them how a person looks. They say that the only thing that matters is how they act and think. People tend to judge a person by how they look even without noticing. In my opinion, unconscious bias exists in every human being and 182 AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education www. grnjournal.us when finding ourselves in a community with a lot of different people makes us feel uncomfortable. I think that people should understand that appearance matters but it tells very little about a person. Discrimination remains a significant issue in Uzbekistan, affecting various marginalized groups. Below are some of the current social discrimination issues that people in Uzbekistan are facing, according to the website “kun.uz”  First, there was the "Kompromatuzb" case from the previous year, in which a few bloggers were taken into custody. One may argue that a lot of bloggers who are relatively new to the media have a weak legal philosophy, believing that "I should not go beyond the scope of the law". It's possible that journalists and bloggers have committed errors, broken the law, and committed crimes without realizing it. However, Uzbekistan does not currently have a structure in place for mainstream media and bloggers to constantly alert one another. Journalist and blogger alert systems function well in international jurisdictions.  The events that occurred in Karakalpakstan in 2022 were the second factor influencing the rating decline. Regarding this, it is important to note that the people, country, and state of Uzbekistan should place a great emphasis on maintaining their territorial integrity. Any crises or issues, whether internal or foreign, have a detrimental effect on the sociopolitical climate. Crises do not cause freedoms to expand or change. Conversely, crises and more crises are things that obliterate freedom.  The government's and the media's inertia constitute the third issue. There is very little experience with free expression in Uzbekistan. Up until 2016, Uzbekistan believed that the greatest danger to stability was the exercise of free speech and thought. It was customary to use coercion and force to maintain security and stability. For this reason, discussing issues pertaining to journalists and the mass media still results in psychological strain. Another type of inequality is among the genders as women in a lot of different parts of the world are not given enough credit. In the past women were considered a weak part of the community and it was their duty to do the housework and raise children. However, as time passed this cliche should no longer exist because the work that people do now can be handled by both genders. There are still a lot of countries, including Uzbekistan that have an understanding of women's duties that was used years ago. Moreover, authorities seem not to believe in their abilities and restrict them from being in important positions. I believe that recognizing women and empowering them to hold higher positions will help in the growth and development of the country both economically and politically. Having said all of that Uzbekistan is still one of the first countries in Central Asia to fight for women’s rights. In collaboration with United Nations and mostly with the help of the U.S Embassy Uzbekistan has been paying a great attention to give women the equal treatment that they deserve.  United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) acknowledges the fundamental importance of women's equal participation in decision-making, equal pay for equal work, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work and access to healthcare services that respond to women's needs. UNODC advocates for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls and is committed to 183 AMERICAN Journal of Language, Literacy and Learning in STEM Education www. grnjournal.us ensuring that a gender perspective is actively and visibly mainstreamed in all its practices, policies, and programs. However, Open Data organization released the findings of its "Gender Data Compass 2023". The results made the group make suggestions on how to improve Uzbekistan's position in terms of gender data, stressing the importance of more gender-related data releases in order to close current disparities. 10 out of the 53 variables examined in the Gender Data Compass (GDC) could not be located on any website or portal run by the government, which makes it a problem to raise the awareness of the society and help to fight against gender inequality. I think that a lot of problems occur because of discrimination, and to tackle it, people should first of all start to respect one another and learn how to work together. Avoiding inequality in our society may help to reduce the occurrence of violence and make some parts of the world a better place to live at. Citations: “Uzbekistan Ranks 56th in Gender Data Ranking 2023 - Open Data Watch.” Daryo.Uz, Daryo.uz, 9 Feb. 2024, daryo.uz/en/2024/02/09/uzbekistan-ranks-56th-in-gender-data-ranking-2023-open- data-watch. https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/uzbekistan/ https://kun.uz/en/news/2023/07/18/kompromatuzb-case-to-be-heard-in-closed-court Reference https://www.state.gov/reports/2023-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/uzbekistan/