Post-Soviet Uzbekistan: The Implications of Land Reforms on Women’s Livelihood

The goal of this paper is to analyze the processes of post-Soviet diversification of rural livelihood strategies in Uzbekistan and to discuss gender division of labour. The paper looks at the land restructuring and ecological issues and existing entrepreneurial activities of women and men, migration patterns and their implications for the enhancement of the livelihood of rural people. The domestic burden, agricultural and non-agricultural entrepreneurial activities, access and management of household resources, access to decision- making, and the intensity of participation in social networks are examined. The paper examines key socio-economic and cultural factors that encourage women and men to engage in livelihood activities and examines the impact of these activities on gender relations and gender identities at the household level. The research findings suggest that land restructuring that took place after the independence of Uzbekistan increased the vulnerability of livelihood by leading to the loss of social protection earlier provided by collective farms.