The Women of Uzbekistan are Optimistic and Confident: Poll

June 29, 2008

Independence of Uzbekistan, which was declared 17 years ago, has led to the new approaches towards many strategic issues, including the issues of women’s empowerment. The new approach is based upon the idea that a woman and her problems should be raised by the state onto the top of renovation and progress strategy of society. Decree of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On additional measures to support the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan” of May 25, 2004 aims further enhancement of the women’s role in the family and society.

Recently “Ijtimoiy fikr” (Public opinion) Center has conducted an opinion poll among women to know their assessment of the implementation of the President’s decree. The results suggest that Uzbekistan has secured significant achievements in improving social and economic, as well as legal state of women.

Absolute majority of women is favorable of President’s policy towards enhancing the women’s role in public, political, economic, social and cultural life of the country. Also they highly value Uzbekistan’s achievements in providing for the rights and freedoms of women, protecting motherhood and childhood, creating favorable conditions for realization of their professional and intellectual potential.

Ninety percent of women have said that Uzbekistan observes all of their main rights. They gave the highest approval rates with regard the observance of their rights to education, work, free medical services, reproduction rights and social protection.

According to the decree, elaboration and implementation of thorough measures on protecting the women’s health, promoting sport and healthy life among women are the important directions of the activity of the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan. Those surveyed have especially noted that a significant improvement is witnessed in works aimed at protection of childhood and motherhood. Besides, year on year a number of women, who have access to qualified medical services is growing and accounts now for more than 70%.

Survey shows that a number of women engaged in physical culture, as well as those doing the morning exercises has doubled compared to the year 2006. At the same time the conditions for involving the women to the sport and physical culture have improved, according to 43.9% of respondents.

The President’s decree has also contributed for the enhancement of social, public and political activity of women, according to the poll. The fact that more than 90% of women who are eligible to vote cast their ballots on a presidential election on 23 December 2007 is a vivid proof of that. At the same time the women representation in territorial bodies of governance has also increased.

Creation of favorable conditions for women’s professional growth remains one of the important factors that contribute to the active involvement of engagement to public and political life of the country. So, 56.8% of women believe that there are favourable conditions for their professional growth in the country.

The survey has showed that majority of working women are satisfied with their job. At the same time, quarter of those with permanent job has also an additional source of income, such as seasonal job in agriculture, commerce and trading, sewing, selling home-made pastries, tutoring.

This is especially important in light of President’s Decree of 5 January 2006 “On enhancing the cooperation between large industrial enterprises and home-based businesses”. The document envisaged the implementation of measures which aimed thorough development of home-based businesses, women’s further engagement in this sphere and their social protection.
In the course of implementation of the Decree “On additional measures to support the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan” the number of women satisfied with their salary has sharply increased. It has been a result of policy aimed at gradual increase of remuneration of labor and income of population.

Private entrepreneurship is the most important factor in providing women with jobs and steady source of income. In the years of the Decree’s implementation the conditions for women’s engagement in entrepreneurship have significantly improved. As a result, more than a third of women are engaged now in private entrepreneurship and are willing to continue their business.

According to the poll, the laws of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On micro-financing”, “On credit unions”, “On Micro credit organizations”, as well as the Resolution of Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan “On measures for further development of micro-financial services market”, of February 19, 2007, play a positive role in creating the favorable conditions for women to start their new businesses. Thanks to the favorable economic and organizational conditions the network of credit unions, as well as the micro credit organizations is widening around the country. The network provides the women willing to start their businesses with all necessary micro financing services.

One of the directions of the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan and its affiliates is to organize the effective work on the ground (in families, makhallas (local communities), and educational institutions) with a view to explaining and observing the national and religious traditions. So, the poll surveyed the importance of national traditions and customs, as well as religious rites in the minds of the women. According to the respondents, the most important for them is to observe the progressive national traditions, rites and customs.

In general the poll has showed that the women of Uzbekistan are highly optimistic in terms of their social role, professional opportunities and future.