Description

Problem
Daughters in Uzbekistan are still named O‘g‘ilxon, O‘giloy, O‘gilbulsin — names that literally mean “boy,” symbolizing unfulfilled hope. This reflects how unwanted girls are seen as mistakes. At the same time, the project faced a zero-budget reality. The challenge: change a deep-rooted cultural narrative without financial resources.

Task
Deliver high-impact awareness and engagement, prove that strategy and strong creative ideas can overcome the absence of budget, and involve men’s voices in redefining cultural norms.

Solution
We invited male figures — celebrities, influencers, and everyday fathers — to write open letters to their daughters. All participation was voluntary, unpaid. Content was simple: words, portraits, and native social media posts. Amplification came from contributors’ accounts, partner media, and organic sharing. This kept costs at zero and authenticity high.

Result
Despite limited resources and no paid promotion, “Open Letters to Daughters” transformed from a simple social media activation into a cultural and institutional shift.
- 0 paid media, 0 production budget.
- 5,000,000+ organic views within only 2 weeks.
- With organic reach only we got 350+ media mentions
- National discussion across media and social platforms.
- Wave of user-generated letters from more than 30 fathers sparked a nationwide debate about the value of daughters.
- Proved that cultural change can be sparked without money — only with sincerity and collective effort.
- Most importantly, it broke a cultural taboo: for the first time, men publicly voiced pride in their daughters.

 The initiative led to systemic outcomes — the opening of the Mother’s House shelter, the adoption of a landmark child protection law, and the launch of a national hotline for women at risk, memorandums with UNFPA and the Religious Committee. What began as a low-cost digital campaign became a nationwide movement, proving that powerful ideas, not budgets, drive real change.

Roadmap (What’s next)
The project is no longer just a campaign — it is a national program in the making.
 • Annual integration on TV.
 • School curricula and community centers introducing fathers’ role models.
 • Expansion of support services for pregnant women and young mothers.
 • Annual of “Letters to Daughters” as a cultural tradition, bridging generations.

Impact
From silence to public pride.
From a taboo to a cultural movement.
From a campaign to a policy shift.

Credits

Credentials: 

National Agency for Social Protection under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan
Dilfuza Ruzmetova - Head of Public Relations Department, Press Secretary of NASP
Doston Kodirov - Specialist of Public Relations Department of NASP
Sitora Latipova - Leading Specialist of Public Relations Department of NASP

United Nations Population Fund - UNFPA Uzbekistan
Dilora Ganieva, UNFPA Programme Specialist on Gender Issues and Social Norms Change
Nazokathon Fayzullaeva, UNFPA Programme Officer for Communications and Advocacy
Guzaliya Nugmankhodjaeva, Communications Assistant