Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In Uzbekistan, matching men’s and women’s wages would lift over 700,000 people out of poverty, says the World Bank’s new study.

With the financial support of the government of the United Kingdom, the World Bank produced the Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Report (CGA). 

This report examines gender equality in Uzbekistan across several domains, including education, health, economic activity, protection from gender-based violence, marriage, divorce, and participation in public life. 

The CGA considers social norms, assessing cultural attitudes and practices influencing rights and perceptions of women in Uzbekistan’s society. 

The report offers recommendations to close gender gaps and promote inclusive prosperity.

The CGA highlights Uzbekistan’s significant progress on gender equality since 2017. Notable advancements include ensuring equal pay and removing job restrictions for women in the Labor Code adopted in 2022. Additionally, amendments introduced to the Criminal Code in 2023 established criminal penalties for domestic violence. 

Women’s access to education and health services has notably improved. For example, tertiary education enrollment saw significant growth, with men tripling to 29% and women quadrupling to 27.4% between 2017 and 2022. 

Despite improvements in legislation and human capital, gender disparities in labor market outcomes persist. In 2021, female labor force participation lagged behind men by 28 percentage points (ppt). 

Young women face higher unemployment rates (15.5% vs 10% for males). 

The share of young women who were not in employment, education, or training (NEET) reached 42%, compared to 8.8% for males. 

Additionally, wage gender gaps are significant, with women earning 34% less than men, exceeding the global average of 20%.

Low pay and employment rates among women directly hinder economic growth and exacerbate poverty in Uzbekistan. 

If women participated in the country’s economy on par with men, the national income in Uzbekistan would rise by 29%. 

Simply matching men’s and women’s wages would lift over 700,000 people out of poverty. 

The authorities should address gender inequality to unleash Uzbekistan’s full economic potential, the CGA recommends.