From Gender Assessment to Action: Gender Action Plan for the Rogun Hydropower Plant

The Project Management Group held orientation meetings on February 12 and 19, 2026, to present the findings of the gender assessment and the Gender Action Plan. The events were attended by 36 key project staff members - 15 women and 21 men - including representatives of Rogun OJSC, the Directorate of Flood Zone, and the Project Management Group: managers, human resources departments, social and gender specialists, and occupational health and safety specialists.

The purpose of the meetings was to familiarize participants with the key findings of the gender assessment, identified risks and recommendations, as well as the planned activities, indicators, and institutional commitments outlined in the Gender Action Plan. These meetings increased staff awareness of gender equality issues and opportunities for women's empowerment within the project.

The presentation introduced with participants with the assessment methodology and the results of a field survey of 900 households in the Rogun, Nurobod, and Fayzobod districts. Findings from the focus group discussions conducted with women from resettled and host communities were also presented. The gender assessment and Action Plan were prepared in accordance with the World Bank's Environmental and Social Framework, which aims to reduce gender gaps, reduce poverty, and support sustainable economic growth.

Participants were introduced to key terminology in the field of gender equality, international requirements, and current national legislation. Existing strategies and partnership opportunities were discussed to prevent and address gender issues during project implementation more effectively. Participants were also informed about the key measures proposed to prevent and mitigate gender risks and impacts, as well as about existing support services, including the national gender referral mechanism.

Key actions and recommendations included the adoption and dissemination of the project's Code of Conduct; the implementation of an effective grievance redress mechanism; and mandatory introductory and refresher training courses to raise awareness of gender equality and GBV/SEA/SH. Strengthening equal opportunity policies and procedures that promote gender equality in access to employment and career advancement opportunities for women, with a focus on increasing the proportion of women in managerial and technical positions; opportunities to support skills development programs for women to gain employment; provision of childcare services (e.g., preschools/kindergartens) to enable women to benefit from social and economic opportunities; equal and inclusive consultation processes at all levels of project implementation to ensure that women's concerns and needs are understood and addressed; and as well as the improvement of sanitary conditions and facilities for women in work campuses.

Participants were familiarized with a gender action plan developed based on the findings of the gender assessment, which includes four key pillars: (1) appointment of gender focal points among stakeholders; (2) building capacity to address GBV/SEA/SH risks at or near the Rogun HPP project site, resettlement sites, within the three entities implementing the Rogun HPP project and EPC contractors; (3) developing economic and social opportunities for women and girls among project-affected persons; and (4) creating greater opportunities for women as workers/employees at or near the Rogun HPP site and in the three project implementing entities (OJSC Rogun, Directorate of Flood Zone, and the Project Management Group).

As a result of the meetings, staff gained a clear understanding of both the challenges and practical steps to address them. The Gender Action Plan provides a clear roadmap for integrating a gender approach into project implementation, which will enhance its sustainability and create tangible benefits for women and communities as a whole.