GENDER INEQUALITY IN THE LABOUR MARKET OF UZBEKISTAN: BARRIERS, LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORKS, AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
gender inequality, labour market, Uzbekistan, gender pay gap, women in leadership, workplace discrimination, labour legislation, Central Asia, occupational segregation, human capitalAbstract
Gender inequality in the labour market remains one of the most persistent structural challenges facing Uzbekistan's economic growth strategy. According to the International Labour Organization's most recent assessment (2025), women in wage employment in Uzbekistan earn between 25 and 35% less than men, with the gap measured at 31.7% at the mean and 35.7% at the median in 2022 — figures that have remained essentially unchanged since 2018 despite a comprehensive legislative reform programme. Drawing on the ILO's 2025 Gender Pay Gap report, the 2025 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Index, recent comparative academic research on occupational segregation in Central Asia, and national legislative sources, this paper examines the main aspects of gender inequality in Uzbekistan's labour market. The analysis reveals that although Uzbekistan's legal framework has been significantly strengthened since 2019, including the removal of restrictions on women's employment in numerous occupations and the introduction of anti-discrimination laws, the employment rate for women remains roughly half the male rate, occupational segregation continues, and there is no clear downward trend in the pay gap. Policy recommendations focus on enforcement methods, pay transparency, childcare infrastructure, and tackling the structural drivers of occupational segregation.
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