Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Johns Hopkins University

"Central Asian Women – Full Participants Yet?"

Nancy Lubin
Maira Karsakbayeva
Shafag Mehraliyeva
Nozima Nurmukhamedova
Erica Marat
Marfua Tokhtakhodjaeva

Summary of Event:

The purpose of this event was to shed some light on the changing political environments for Central Asian women in the independence period.

The guests included:

Nancy Lubin, President of J&A Associates Inc., and author of the book about women in Central Asia. Mrs. Lubin served as moderator of the discussion.

Maira Karsakbayeva, an artist and film producer from Kazakhstan. For the past two years, Mrs. Karsakbayeva has been working for a Canadian film production company.

Shafag Mehraliyeva, a journalist from Azerbaijan. Currently based in Washington, Mrs. Mehraliyeva works for an Azeri news agency, after having been an anchorwoman on Azeri TV and producer for news stories in Azerbaijan.

Nozima Nurmukhamedova, an activist from Tajikistan. Mrs. Nurmukhamedova has been involved in health projects and helped establish a Japanese regional agency in her home country.

Erica Marat, a scholar from Kyrgyzstan. In addition to her academic career, Mrs. Marat has focused on crime prevention and worked with NGOs in Bishkek.

Marfua Tokhtakhodjaeva, a leading women’s right activist from Uzbekistan. Besides publishing several books, Mrs. Tokhtakhodjaeva has been a founding member of the women’s resources center in Tashkent.

Due to the absence of S. Frederick Starr, Chairman of the Institute, Marja Snyder opened the session by remarking that the issue of women in the region has been a somewhat neglected topic in the past. Mrs. Snyder then handed the floor to Mrs. Lubin, who in turn invited all guests to give a short introductory statement before taking questions from the audience.

In her statement, Mrs. Karsakbayeva pointed to two major historical events that in her view have defined the role of Central Asian women, namely World War II (1941-1945) and the Perestroika reforms (1991-1995). During World War II, all men were fighting at the front and women had to take their place in the factories.
During the economic disintegration following the collapse of the Soviet Union, many workers in the huge state companies, who were predominantly men, lost their jobs. As a result, many families were once again relying on women to make ends meet.

According to Mrs. Mehraliyeva, women in the Muslim world, including Azerbaijan, are first and foremost considered as mothers. However, she underscored the fact that the Koran gives women more rights than other religions. Azerbaijan itself is a very secular state, contrary to its southern neighbor, and social norms outweigh religious conventions in Azeri society.
From a historical perspective, the oil boom in the late 19th century promoted women’s rise in society. Azeri women obtained the right to vote in 1918. During the Soviet Union, the role of women was enhanced further. However, the state fell short of putting women in key positions.
In the 1990s, many men left Azerbaijan in search for work. Mrs. Mehraliyeva regarded poverty as a factor that induces women to stay at home and care for their families.

Mrs. Nurmukhamedova noted that women make up only 19% of the Tajik workforce. Dependence on men is therefore rather high, leaving women very vulnerable. Many of them are forced to focus on housework and/or involvement in the informal economy. There is a sharp divergence between rural and urban areas, with women in the former often marrying at a very young age.
Given that employment in the formal economy is limited, poor education of women as well as labor migration of men are two major reasons for women’s involvement in the informal economy. Often, children are also expected to participate in the securing the survival of the generally large Tajik families.

Despite Kyrgyzstan’s image as the most liberal country in the region, Mrs. Marat reminded the audience that there is currently not a single woman in the Kyrgyz parliament. This situation was made possible by the Tulip Revolution of March 2005 and the ensuing harsh competition over public posts and resources.
Since there are few female political leaders, the introduction of quotas has already been discussed. However, the impending introduction of a proportional electoral system may lead to more support for women, as it will hopefully secure enough support within their respective parties.

Mrs. Tokhtakhodjaeva maintained that access to education and healthcare became very difficult after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Traditionalism is on the rise, coupled with a steady islamization of society. Women in Uzbekistan are regarded as mothers of the nation. Often, they are economically dependent on their husbands, whom they marry at a very young age. Also, polygamy is back in many rural areas.

The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute was founded in 1996 and has grown to be the primary institution in the Washington area for the study of the Caucasus, Central Asia and the Caspian Region. The Institute forms part of a Joint Center with the Silk Road Studies Program at the Institute for Security and Development, Stockholm. The Institute sponsors impartial research on the region, acts as a forum for policymakers both in Washington and abroad, shares information concerning the region and provides access for its sponsors in business to relevant expertise on the region. Additional information about the Institute is available at www.silkroadstudies.org.