Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment: Update

Socio-economic Survey of Housing for Integrated Rural 
Development Project Beneficiary Households
for adB. tashkent. Uzbekistan. p. 47.
119 
data provided by pCBs to adB in October–November 2017 for this CGa update.
Figure 3: Commercial Bank in Support of Women Entrepreneurs
(SUM billion)
1,800
1,800
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
90.1
264.4
335.6
491.7
697.8
960.2
1255
1646.7
204.2
148.7
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Source:
adB. 2017. 
Uzbekistan:
Country Portfolio Review Mission. 
Uzbekistan Resident Mission.

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Mainstreaming Gender in ADB Operations, by Sector
39
of imported goods.
120
In parallel, the traditional way of thinking is that women are more capable 
in MSMes than in larger businesses, thus creating a glass ceiling for women entrepreneurs, 
especially in the rural areas.
Women entrepreneurs face considerable time poverty as they combine their traditional 
reproductive functions with income generation. By default, the traditional distribution of 
productive and reproductive roles is conceived as the natural way things work. therefore, 
women, particularly women entrepreneurs, do not refer to time poverty as an issue, restricting 
their business capacity. despite heavy workloads, many women indicate willingness to work 
even harder if doing so would contribute to the welfare of the family, particularly that of 
their children. this shows the potential for improving the livelihoods of rural women through 
engagement in entrepreneurial activities.
121
Most women entrepreneurs mentioned that they sacrifice sleep and leisure time to keep their 
MSMes viable and efficient.
122
Lacking financial and human resources, women often combine 
diverse duties within their MSMes—accountant, office manager, driver, purchase agent, cleaner, 
worker, etc. Some women entrepreneurs have had secondary special education in medicine 
(nurse) or pedagogy (primary school teacher), but in the context of underemployment they 
engage in microbusiness. at the same time, reluctant to lose their professional qualification and 
affiliation with formal institutions, they work in a neighboring health-care unit or school several 
times a month.
Insufficient social infrastructure presents serious barriers to women’s business development. 
Many respondents stated the scarcity of public pre-schools, truncated days for primary school 
students, and high fees for transport are barriers to their entrepreneurship (footnote 124).
“I tried to find an apartment for rent in the neighborhood with preschool and the 
secondary school as one of my kids is 9 and the second one is 4. It is difficult to come 
to Namangan from Norin (district in Namangan region) to run my business. also, in 
Norin where my parents live, there are challenging living conditions: heating is with coal 
and to cook they have to buy bottled gas. the transport fees to come to Namangan are 
also high.” 
—N., entrepreneur, 41 years old
during start-up, women entrepreneurs often take out bank loans to purchase raw materials or 
goods at a wholesale market or abroad to be sold locally. as the business grows, subsequent 
loans help in increasing or upgrading equipment (e.g., a car for procurement and daily business 
and family routines). For enhanced and mature businesses, 69% of revenue refinances further 
development of the business and self-education, which positively affects the success of the 
business. Increasing the education level is particularly important because 62% of women 
entrepreneurs have only general secondary education.
123
120 
adB field survey in 2017 in preparation for this CGa update.
121 
UN Food and agriculture Organization. 2017.