Kyrgyz Women Empowered Despite Difficult Economic Transition

by Jennifer Lee Pawlowski & photo MVI I VVI

For the past six years, the Kyrgyz Republic has been undergoing a painful transition from a command economy to one which is market oriented. While economic decline and a continuous drop in living standards has left no member of Kyrgyz society untouched, women have been especially hard hit by the upheavals caused by the rapid economic shift and a vanishing social welfare system.

As the Kyrgyz government focuses on the implementation of macroeconomic policies necessary for economic reform, women's issues have become marginalized, resulting in increased feminization of poverty in the country. While women are well represented in the work force, they have been affected more than men by high unemployment rates caused by the liquidation and privatization of many state enterprises. In 1996, the National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic reported that 60 percent of unemployed workers in 1994 and 1995 were women. However, such levels of unemployment among women may be even higher since it is believed that many have not registered with employment services. In addition, women have been disproportionately affected by the government's inability to pay adequate pensions, since they comprise the majority of pensioners.

While this small mountainous country faces numerous problems and obstacles, women have made great strides in addressing issues related to improving the welfare of Kyrgyz citizens. Though varied in cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds, the women of Kyrgyzstan have demonstrated a strong work ethic, combined with a great motivation to take the necessary steps to secure a more stable future for themselves and their families during this time of economic instability. Women have become essential participants in the proliferating NGO and grassroots movement currently taking place within the country. Also, as other job prospects for women diminish, they have moved into the expanding, bazaar-orientated informal sector, becoming an integral part of the "unofficial" economy.

In order to better understand why women in Kyrgyzstan, relative to those in other Central Asian countries, have taken on such dynamic roles in their society, it is necessary to look at various factors including history, current education levels, the present political atmosphere as well as access to credit and informal sector activities. All these variables play an important role in determining why they have become such a mobilized force.

Pre-Soviet and Soviet History

Before Russian dominance in the late 19th century, the Kyrgyz people, of Turkic-Mongol origin, led a nomadic way of life. Unlike the sedentary Uzbeks and Tajiks, the traditions and hardships of nomadic pastoralism forced the Kyrgyz to rely heavily on every member of the clan, allowing greater independence and responsibility for women. Both women and men participated in animal rearing, horseback riding and hunting, establishing a higher level of equality between the genders.

During the Soviet era, ideological programs to encourage equality between men and women were implemented, further enhancing the status of Kyrgyz women within their society. One of the defining features of economic life in the Soviet Union was women's employment outside the home. Collectivization and industrialization helped to diminish the division of labor. However, while women figured prominently in the work force, all too often they were channeled into fields deemed less important in the Soviet era, including food services, health and social welfare, as well as culture and the arts.

Political representation by women was slightly improved by the Soviets, although women were primarily handed a relatively small role to play, assigned to committees or agencies engaged in cultural and social work, as opposed to economic issues. In addition, the Soviets provided women high levels of state-financed education never before available in Central Asia, accounting for a near- universal literacy rate of 97 percent in Kyrgyzstan today.

Current Conditions Enlarging Women's Role

Nomadic culture along with Soviet labor and education policies played a part in helping to empower women in Kyrgyzstan, but one of the main factors allowing women to be so active in society today is the presence of a democratically elected government. The Kyrgyz government, led by President Askar Akayev and members of the Jogorku Kenesh (the 105-member bicameral parliament), has created an atmosphere that encourages the development of NGOs and other grassroots organizations. The Kyrgyz government made several commitments to gender considerations following the Fourth UN World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. Promises were made to develop a national program for women's development, create mechanisms that would implement gender action programs, as well as create a legal basis for furthering women's development. President Akayev proclaimed 1996 the "Year of the Woman" and a special Committee on Women, Youth and Families was created in order to implement programs related to women's political, social and economic needs. One effective program, backed by UNDP, has been the formation of a Women's Bureau in Bishkek and the creation of Women's Resource Centers in other oblasts.

NGOs and the Grassroots

photo by Jennifer Lee Pawlowski

While the Kyrgyz government has made efforts to make the public aware of women's issues, the government has yet to fully address the needs of women. Lacking political power (women currently comprise only six percent of the Jogorku Kenesh, as compared to the worldwide average of eleven percent), women have taken to grassroots efforts and NGOs to provide services where the government has failed to organize. Over 70 women-oriented NGOs had been established and officially registered with the government as of October 1997. Many of these NGOs focus on social protection and poverty alleviation. Some offer much needed training, grant-writing and business management classes, and dispense advice regarding ever changing tax codes, laws and regulations.

Not all registered NGOs are successfully implementing programs. There are many reasons NGOs fail, including inability to create sustainable projects, lack of funding or necessary equipment (computers, fax machines, copy machines, etc.), and difficulties in reaching the public. It takes a large effort on the part of NGO participants to establish and effectively implement projects.

One very effective NGO is the social organization Diamond, founded by academic women in June 1994. Members of Diamond conduct sociological research regarding women and other vulnerable members of society (invalids, children, immigrants) and how they are affected by issues such as unemployment, violence and credit access. The research findings are then disseminated to the public through books, pamphlets, and conferences. In order to address the increasing level of violence against women, Diamond has established one of the first crisis centers in Kyrgyzstan. Located in the capital, Bishkek, this center, appropriately named Chance, opened in July 1997 and addresses the physical, psychological and sexual problems facing women and children. Consultations can be held in person or over the phone, providing women the opportunity to receive psychological help, legal advice and assistance in finding safe shelter. Over the next two years Diamond hopes to open centers in other cities based on the Bishkek model.

Another NGO that has been successful in providing assistance to women is located outside Bishkek in the village of Jerkazar. Founded by a small group of women in 1995, Alga (Kyrgyz for forward, or in the future) offers a variety of programs to women in rural areas where economic conditions are more depressed. The initial goal of Alga was to join village women together to bring their needs to the attention of the Jorgoku Kenesh. Twenty women lobbied Parliament and the Committee of Women, Family and Children and were successful in obtaining land for agricultural use. Their success helped this small town of 5,000 realize that a united front commanded attention and brought positive results. Now Alga has approximately 75 members of all ages. Programs have been created that inform women about microcredit loans and how to access such credit. In addition, members train other women on how to implement successful business plans once credit has been obtained. Since Alga won a grant from an international donor to buy a computer and Xerox machine, it has begun teaching computer skills to other women. English is now being taught by the first Peace Corps volunteer to be based in the village.

The Informal Economy-New ProspectsSuch skills are all the more important now that it is increasingly difficult for women to find employment in the official economy. Women have found new alternatives for participation in the informal economy, becoming more active in the economy surrounding the bazaar. Petty vending ranges from the sale of fruits and vegetables to soaps and shampoos, Snickers bars and Pepsi. Many women can be seen selling homemade dishes like manti (dumplings filled with meat, onions and pumpkin), blini (Russian pancakes) and various salads. The growth in petty vending and trading as an alternative income-generating process has led to a demand among women for access to credit. In turn, several international organizations as well as locally based institutions have established programs to provide small loans to women. FINCA, a US NGO that operates a microcredit project, has set up a village banking system that provides hundreds of women with credit. In the city of Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan, several FINCA village bank members use their loans to buy butter from outlying rural areas and then sell the butter at the Osh bazaar. Women in the city of Tokmok, an hour east of Bishkek, have used their loans to purchase various products, including batteries, cosmetics, hair clips, toothpaste, chewing gum and pens, which are then sold by the women at higher prices at the local bazaar.

When traveling through Kyrgyzstan, it is not uncommon to see numerous different food stops along the roadsides. Trailer-like houses and small shacks serve as "fast food" options for travelers. One woman in the Suusamyr valley in central Kyrgyzstan offers various dishes for those dining with her-including kymyz (mare's milk) and plov (a rice dish) with horsemeat. A full meal costs a mere 20 som (about $1.25), which is cheap for a foreigner but a fairly significant sum for the woman and her family, considering the average monthly income is less than $20.

Many women are also taking advantage of a phenomenon known as shop tours. This business is predominated by women, who are known as chelnoki (Russian for one who shuttles). These women travel to such countries as Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and India for weeks at a time, returning home loaded with consumer goods. The chelnoki usually hire an assistant to watch their kiosks while traveling, helping to create employment for others. The work of a chelnok is intensive and physically demanding, but the benefits include substantially higher profits than those of the average petty vendor, as well as the previously impossible opportunity to travel.

Conclusion

Women in the Kyrgyz Republic have been hard hit by post-Soviet economic and social upheavals. The inability of the Kyrgyz government to alleviate the economic burdens placed on women in the country, and the threat of decreased international aid to the region means that the real hope for women's empowerment and economic prosperity lies with the women of Kyrgyzstan themselves. Their energetic and dynamic approaches to coping with current instabilities have made great contributions toward overcoming the challenges of economic transition.

Jennifer Lee Pawlowski recently received a master's in international development at American University. Alga, 30 Manas Street, Jerkazar, Kantskii Raion, Kyrgyzstan. Diamond, 200 Panfilova Street, Apartment 39, Bishkek 72001, Kyrgyzstan; phone: ( 3312) 22-24-28; e-mail: root@diam.amalker.com.kg