The World Bank’s Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Report (CGA), produced with financial support from the government of the United Kingdom, serves as a diagnostic tool to evaluate gender equality in Uzbekistan. The report examines various domains, including education, health, economic activity, protection from gender-based violence, marriage, divorce, and participation in public life.
The CGA considers social norms and assesses cultural attitudes and practices influencing women's rights and perceptions in Uzbek society. It offers recommendations to close gender gaps and promote inclusive prosperity.
Key findings indicate significant progress on gender equality since 2017. Notable advancements include ensuring equal pay and removing job restrictions for women in the Labor Code adopted in 2022. Additionally, amendments introduced to the Criminal Code in 2023 established criminal penalties for domestic violence. Consequently, the Women, Business, and the Law Index recognized Uzbekistan as one of the top five improvers in gender equality in 2024.
Women’s access to education and health services has notably improved. Tertiary education enrollment saw significant growth between 2017 and 2022, with men tripling to 29% and women quadrupling to 27.4%. Efforts to provide equitable healthcare have reduced infant and maternal deaths over the past three decades; infant mortality dropped from 34.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 9.2 in 2021.
Despite improvements in legislation and human capital, gender disparities persist in labor market outcomes. In 2021, female labor force participation lagged behind men by 28 percentage points (ppt), higher than the average for Europe and Central Asia excluding high-income countries (19 ppt). Young women face higher unemployment rates (15.5% vs. 10% for males), with a NEET rate of 42%, compared to males at 8.8%. Wage gaps are also significant; women earn 34% less than men, exceeding the global average of 20%.
Low pay and employment rates among women hinder economic growth and exacerbate poverty in Uzbekistan. If women participated equally with men economically, national income would rise by 29%, lifting over 700,000 people out of poverty.
Entrenched gender norms assigning primary caregiving responsibilities to women impede progress towards gender equality and inclusive economic growth. Authorities must address these issues to unleash Uzbekistan’s full economic potential by tackling disparities in tertiary education access within STEM fields, healthcare constraints, family planning options deterioration, incomplete protections against gender-based violence, and imbalanced representation of women in leadership roles.
Despite these obstacles, the CGA finds that Uzbekistan is leveraging a solid foundation of progress with promising prospects for enhanced gender equality.