TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, June 18. Uzbekistan has made significant strides in gender equality since 2017, according to a recent World Bank research, Trend reports.
Key advancements include equal pay assurances and the elimination of job restrictions for women, enshrined in the Labor Code adopted in 2022. Amendments to the Criminal Code in 2023 have also introduced criminal penalties for domestic violence.
According to the WB, improvements in women's access to education and healthcare are notable achievements. Tertiary education enrollment rates have seen substantial increases, with male enrollment tripling to 29% and female enrollment quadrupling to 27.4% between 2017 and 2022.
Efforts to ensure equitable healthcare have led to significant reductions in infant and maternal mortality rates over the past three decades. Infant mortality has dropped from 34.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 9.2 in 2021.
Despite these gains, challenges persist, the research noted. Low wages and employment rates among women are direct barriers to economic growth and contribute to increased poverty levels in Uzbekistan. Closing the gender gap in economic participation could boost the national income by 29% and lift more than 700,000 people out of poverty.
However, deeply entrenched gender norms that assign women primary responsibility for caregiving and household duties continue to hinder progress toward gender equality and inclusive economic development in the country.