By Aleksandra Poletes

Faculty Mentor: Surupa Gupta

Abstract

Gender equality in Uzbekistan has seen both progress and regression since the country gained independence in 1991. Both scholars and public opinion agree that women enjoyed more freedom under Soviet rule, largely through workers’ rights and welfare programs, which disappeared in the turmoil of the USSR’s collapse. A combination of a lack of legal protection and the “retraditionalization” of society resulted in the recentering of religious, patriarchal, and cultural practices, placing emphasis on keeping families together and making it more difficult for women to escape abusive situations. While gender equality is promised under the Uzbek Constitution, wage gaps persist, and social taboos discourage women from reporting injustices.

Nevertheless, legal protections for women in Uzbekistan have advanced greatly in the last five years. In 2019, the Uzbek parliament adopted a law protecting women from harassment and violence, and the criminal code was finally updated in 2023, officially criminalizing domestic violence. My research seeks to examine the various means women have to seek help, inspire change, and affect the legislative process. The legislative process, as discussed in this presentation, is not only the process by which legislation moves through parliament, but also the various actors who create momentum for the conception of said legislation, such as local activists and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

To answer this question, I will first evaluate literature on existing gender-based legislation in Uzbekistan and its contributions as well as its shortcomings, as well as explore women’s legal protections during the Soviet Union and their lived realities in Uzbekistan. Second, I will discuss how the Soviet framework affected public attitudes and legal processes post-independence, investigating in depth the various actors involved in women’s rights activism and the steps necessary for legislation to move from idea to law. Finally, I will conclude by identifying lasting challenges for women in Uzbekistan and possible solutions.