Changing Status Of Women In Central Asia

This volume contains articles on the experiences and positions of women in a region where the states have taken major initiatives in shaping women's roles and status. Contemporary issues and problems of gender identity and economic change provide a basis for comparative discussion.

This report presents selected papers from the proceedings of the World Bank conference "Making the Transition Work for Women in Europe and Central Asia, " held on June 7-8, 1999 in Washington D.C. The papers cover law, employment, pension reforms, reproductive health, and violence. These conference papers reinforce the findings of the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) report but also provide insight into the unique conditions prevailing in individual countries. A consensus emerged during the proceedings that the transition is taking place without the input of women, whos are consequently suffering from the change. Cumulatively, they paint a picture that reveals a number of trends: a) Despite their cultural and historical differences, the countries of the region are facing similar problems as a result of the transition they are each going through. It is unclear if this is because of the collapse of the common socialist system that they are shared, because of their use of the same market economy model, or both. b) In all countries, women are facing new barriers to entry into the labor market. They are also facing widespread sexual harassment and violence. c) In all countries, a revival of traditional gender roles has taken place, affecting women in all spheres of life but especially in their participation in politics.

How have women's lives changed in the republics of the former Soviet Union since the fall of the USSR? This is the first book systematically to examine changes and continuities across these states, focusing on women and work, social roles and women in politics. Drawing on interviews with women in factories, on farms and with women streetsellers, politicians and activists, the book questions whether women are "victims" or "agents" of change, and describes various strategies of coping and adaptation to new economic and social instabilities.

This illuminating anthology provides a range of perspectives on daily life across Central Asia and how it has changed in the post-Soviet era. For its citizens, contemporary Central Asia is a land of great promise and peril. While the end of Soviet rule has opened new opportunities for social mobility and cultural expression, political and economic dynamics have also imposed severe hardships. In this lively volume, contributors from a variety of disciplines examine how ordinary Central Asians lead their lives and navigate shifting historical and political trends. Provocative stories of Turkmen nomads, Afghan villagers, Kazakh scientists, Kyrgyz border guards, a Tajik strongman, guardians of religious shrines in Uzbekistan, and other narratives illuminate important issues of gender, religion, power, culture, and wealth. A vibrant and dynamic world of life in urban neighborhoods and small villages, at weddings and celebrations, at classroom tables, and around dinner tables emerges from this introduction to a geopolitically strategic and culturally fascinating region.

As women overtake men in education, they are running one-third of the world's businesses. However, women business-owners are concentrated in small and microbusinesses; fewer than 5 percent of CEOs of the largest global corporations are women. "Women in Business and Management" brings together available data and ILO statistics to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date, and global picture of women in the business world and in management positions. The report highlights the business case for gender diversity, the obstacles that women still face, and ways to move ahead. It advocates a greater role for national business organizations, which can assist their member companies in implementing policies and measures to recruit and retain talented women.

With thirty-two original chapters reflecting cutting edge content throughout developed and developing Asia, Women of Asia: Globalization, Development, and Gender Equity is a comprehensive anthology that contributes significantly to understanding globalization’s transformative process and the resulting detrimental and beneficial consequences for women in the four major geographic regions of Asia—East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Eurasia/Central Asia—as it gives "voice" to women and provides innovative ways through which salient understudied issues pertaining to Asian women’s situation are brought to the forefront.