Ziroat Mirziyoyeva's 60th birthday: From family to philanthropy

Ziroatkhon Makhmudovna Mirziyoyeva, the First Lady of Uzbekistan and wife of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev celebrates her 60th birthday on December 4.

Since 2016, she has been actively leading numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing social welfare and environmental sustainability in Uzbekistan.

Born on December 4, 1964, in Kokand, Fergana region, Ziroat Mirziyoyeva studied economics at the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Land Reclamation. It was during her university years that she met her future husband, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, despite her family initially opposing their relationship. They married and went on to build a family together.

Her eldest daughter, Saida, was born during her student years in 1984, followed by Shahnoza in 1986. Ziroat Mirziyoyeva graduated that same year and later had her son, Miralisher, in 2009. She is also a proud grandmother of six grandchildren.

As Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Zamin International Public Foundation since 2020, Mirziyoyeva has spearheaded initiatives to support vulnerable populations, improve healthcare, enhance education, and promote environmental protection.

Under her leadership, the foundation began its operations by assisting 5,000 women and prioritizing environmental sustainability.

Ziroat Mirziyoyeva often accompanies the President on official foreign visits and participates in high-profile international forums. Her first foreign engagement as First Lady was a visit to China.

In recent years, she has actively participated in global summits, including the "One Heart for Palestine" summit in Turkey and the International Innovation Summit on Education in Qatar, accompanied by her daughters Saida and Shahnoza.

In November, she chaired the international forum "Children and Youth in Action - Climate Change in Central Asia" during the 16th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization in Tashkent. She also attended the COP29 World Leaders' Summit in Baku, where she led discussions on youth leadership in combating climate change alongside other first ladies from Central Asia and international representatives.

Known for her dedication to her family, Ziroat Mirziyoyeva occasionally appears in public with her children and grandchildren during elections and other events.

A family photo of her preparing narin alongside her son-in-law Otabek Umarov went viral in 2022, showcasing her down-to-earth personality.