Tajik women are forced to be dependent on men due to lack of land access

A study on women and farming in Tajikistan

04.11.2014

The lack of access to land for Tajik women forces them to be dependent on men. It also decreases the potential contribution of women to the agrarian growth in Tajikistan and it increases the vulnerability of Tajik women towards poverty.

Those are some of the main conclusions of the study Review. “Women and Farming” (Gender analysis in agriculture of Republic of Tajikistan). The review was conducted by Alla Kuvatova, Associate Professor at Russian-Tajik Slavonic University, under the EWA project. The review has been commissioned by the Youth Ecological Centre of Tajikistan and WECF has given input to the study.

Tajik women own less land compared to men and their rights to control land are also limited. Renting land and obtaining the financial benefits from the harvest are examples of areas where women’s rights are limited. The proportion of women that is head of a Dehkan Farm is 6.5 times lower than the proportion of men. However, women who live in rural areas contribute significantly to the economic survival of their family. That is why the focus on women in agriculture is important.

The study analyses the gender legislation and the national policies and strategies of Tajikistan within the field of agriculture. It looks at the barriers in the gender policy implementation, the participation of women at the decision-making level and the number of girls attending school. The review also focuses on gender inequality to land access and the problem of Dehkan Farms. The study provides recommendations to the Tajik government and local governments on addressing gender inequality within agriculture.

The full review can be read here.