Gender Dimensions of Inequality in the Countries of Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Western CIS

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in 1 ABSTRACTThe collapse of the Soviet Union initiated an unprecedented social and economic transformation of the successor countries and altered the gender balance in a region that counted gender equality as one of the key legacies of its socialist past. The transition experience of the region has amply demonstrated that the changes in the gender balance triggered by economic shifts are far from obvious, and that economic expansion and women's economic empowerment do not always go hand in hand. Therefore, active measures to enhance women's economic empowerment should be of central concern to the policy dialogue aimed at poverty and inequality reduction and inclusive growth. In this paper, we establish the current state of various dimensions of gender inequalities and their past dynamics in the countries of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia),and Western CIS (Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine), and propose steps aimed at reducing those inequalities in the context of inclusive growth, decent job creation, and economic empowerment.

Women’s Entrepreneurship in the Global South: Empowering and Emancipating?

“…Soviet-era ideology promoted the emancipation of women and had a progressive effect on women's lives in the Central Asia Soviet countries (Smallbone and Welter 2010;Khitarishvili 2016), albeit with a built-in glass ceiling in politics and economy (Welter and Smallbone 2008). With the demise of communism, there was a rebirth of patriarchal systematization that strengthened the notion of "male guardianship" (Akiner 1997, p. 285); changes in gender balance had adverse effects on the economic, social, and political participation of women (Welter and Smallbone 2008;Kandiyoti and Azimova 2004;Smallbone and Welter 2010;Sattar 2012;Khitarishvili 2016). Culturally, entrepreneurship is considered a male domain demanding male qualities, such as assertiveness (Ogbor 2000).…”

“…Women are compelled to engage in home-based businesses, which are largely subsistence (Korosteleva and Stępie ń-Baig 2020). Essentially, for women entrepreneurs, their gendered role constricts access to resources, confines their chances of enterprise development, and jeopardizes their welfare and empowerment (Khitarishvili 2016). Nonetheless, several women entrepreneurs empower other women by training and developing their skills and establishing businesses that address local needs (Smallbone and Welter 2010).…”

The role of environment on women’s perception about their STEM studies: observations from a Global South country

“…Despite burgeoning opportunities in STEM-related industries in Kazakhstan due to a rapid industrialization 38 , deeply ingrained stereotypes and gender-based discrimination persist, leading to lower participation and unequal compensation for women 18 . For instance, in Kazakhstan, the gender wage gap ranges from 59% in the housing and catering industries to 91% in education, in favour of their male counterparts 39 . These discriminatory actions have adverse effects on women's ability to sustain their careers in STEM fields.…”

Women and STEM in Europe and Central Asia

“…Between 70 and 85 percent of graduates in health programs -that count as part of the science category for the purposes of this study -are women as opposed to around 20 to 30 percent in engineering. Based on Khitarishvili (2016), in a majority of Central Asia and CIS countries women represent more than 70 percent of graduates in education and more than 65 percent of students in health and welfare. In this region, women are significantly underrepresented in engineering, manufacturing, and construction, especially in Azerbaijan, where less than 20 percent of tertiary students in these subjects are female.…”