Mahalla Residents in Uzbekistan Strengthened Their Knowledge on Anti-Corruption Protection with EU and UNDP Support
From October to December 2025, a series of awareness-raising activities aimed at engaging citizens in the fight against corruption was conducted at the mahalla level across seven regions of Uzbekistan. The initiative was implemented by the Anti-Corruption Agency in partnership with the UNDP, with financial support from the European Union. Residents received practical knowledge about their rights, available public services, and financial and digital safety, which will help them avoid corruption risks in everyday life and foster intolerance towards corruption.
A special emphasis was placed on work within mahallas, where people directly interact with public services, benefits systems, healthcare institutions, banks, and digital platforms, and where a lack of information often leads to reliance on intermediaries and corruption-related situations.
Scale of Activities and Outreach
The initiative covered mahallas in seven regions: Namangan, Fergana, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, and Khorezm. In total, 73 events were held with the participation of 1,103 people, including 566 women and girls. All sessions were conducted in a live dialogue format with practical examples and hands-on exercises. When necessary, specialists from banks, healthcare institutions, and other specialized institutions were invited. A key feature of the initiative was that most activities were delivered by female project representatives who live and work in the same mahallas. Their familiarity with local needs and ability to build trust made the awareness activities more accessible and effective.
Financial Literacy as Protection from Fraud
Financial literacy sessions were held in 7 mahallas, reaching 105 participants, including 52 women. The focus was on real-life risks such as fake bank calls, financial pyramids, and suspicious loan offers. Participants learned how to recognise fraud, verify information through official channels, and review credit agreements carefully before signing. As a result, participants became more confident in financial decision-making and reduced their risk of involvement in illegal financial schemes.
Building Anti-Corruption Values among Youth
Drawing competitions under the slogan “We Are Against Corruption” were held in 11 schools and lyceums, engaging 278 students. Through creative tasks, young participants expressed their attitudes toward corruption, honesty, and fairness. This format allowed complex issues to be discussed in a language accessible to youth and helped foster anti-corruption thinking from an early age.
Digital Skills for Transparent Services
The largest component focused on digital literacy. Practical digital skills sessions were held in 39 mahallas, reaching 406 participants, including 300 women. Each session was practice-oriented, with participants learning step-by-step how to use official electronic public services through their own mobile phones. This approach helped people access government services more quickly and transparently, without intermediaries.
Information on Free Medical Services
Information meetings on free healthcare services were conducted in 3 mahallas, with 25 participants, including 16 women. Residents received guidance on which medical services are provided free of charge, how to access them, and where to apply. For many participants, this information was new and allowed them to better navigate the healthcare system.
Open Access to Opportunities and Benefits
Meetings on government opportunities and benefits were held in 13 mahallas for local activists, with 169 participants, including 90 women. Residents were informed about existing social support programmes, education and employment opportunities, and official sources of information. These meetings helped people better navigate government programmes and reduce dependence on informal intermediaries who often distort information or demand illegal payments.
Targeted Household Outreach
Project representatives conducted 110 household visits, reaching 120 people, 108 of whom were women. This format involved in-person visits to families in their homes, enabling direct contact with residents and reaching vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups who rarely participate in public events. During the conversations, project representatives learned about the specific problems and needs of families, explained available government services and ways to report corruption, and explained how to properly submit complaints and use official feedback channels.
Project representatives conducted 110 household visits, reaching 120 individuals, of whom 108 were women. This format involved in-person visits to families at their place of residence, enabling personal communication and outreach to vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups who rarely attend public events. During these visits, representatives identified family-level concerns, provided information on available public services and anti-corruption reporting channels, and explained how to submit official requests and use feedback mechanisms.
All activities were supported by an 8-week mentoring programme, during which female project representatives regularly worked with mentors, planned activities, exchanged experiences, and adapted successful approaches for their mahallas.
This initiative is implemented within the framework of the EU-funded project implemented by the Anti-Corruption Agency and UNDP “Strengthening the National Anti-Corruption Ecosystem in Uzbekistan,”. One of the key components of the project focuses on strengthening civic participation and collective action for effective and objective monitoring of national anti-corruption policies, as well as raising public awareness and promoting zero tolerance for corruption.