Uzbekistani journalist wins country’s first-ever gender discrimination case

An Uzbekistani journalist has won the first-ever case under the country’s recently-enacted law prohibiting gender discrimination, according to the news outlet Gazeta.uz.

Inobat Akhatova filed the case after she and a friend were denied entry to a Tashkent cafe and told the establishment had a policy of not allowing women inside after 10:30 p.m.

According to Akhatova, her decision to challenge the cafe’s policy and speak out about the incident was met with “negativity and hatred,” with many men expressing support for the cafe’s policy.

The cafe owner was fined 6.6 million Uzbek sums ($536).