At the initiative and with the direct support of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Leader of the Nation, Emomali Rahmon, the 1050th anniversary of Rabia Balkhi was included in the UNESCO List of Anniversaries to be celebrated in 2026–2027 during the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference. This initiative is considered a sign of respect for the rich heritage of Tajik-Persian literature and for the role of women in the development of human culture and spirituality.

Within the framework of this initiative, a scientific and practical conference entitled “Rabia Balkhi — the First Tajik Woman Poet with a Divan and Her Place in Tajik-Persian Literature” was held at the Tajik State Pedagogical University named after Sadriddin Ayni.

The conference was organized at the initiative of the Department of Theory and History of Literature of the Faculty of Tajik Philology. Scholars and researchers in the field of literary studies, teachers, students, and guests took part in the event.

During the conference, scientific presentations were delivered by the Vice-Rector for Research Sirojiddin Rajabzoda, literary scholar and researcher of Rabia Balkhi’s life and works Anuzarat Malikzoda, Professor V. Elboev, Professor U. Kazakova, and other researchers. In their presentations, they analyzed various aspects of the life and literary heritage of this outstanding Tajik woman poet.

The speakers emphasized that the historical figure of Rabia Balkhi, as one of the prominent representatives of classical literature, deserves deeper study and research.

Before the beginning of the conference, participants were shown a documentary film about Rabia Balkhi, produced by the “Safina” television channel in cooperation with the teachers of the Faculty of Tajik Philology.