The collapse of the Soviet Union has initiated an unprecedented social and economic transformation of the Central Asian economies. Their experience has demonstrated that the changes in the gender balance triggered by economic shifts are far from obvious. Whereas during the Soviet years, women in Central Asia experienced considerable advances in economic and social well-being, during the post-Soviet period these advances were in many cases reversed, in part due to the economic shifts experienced by countries in the region, including private sector growth and significant migration flows, and to some degree due to the strengthening of patriarchal traditions.

This paper establishes the current state of various dimensions of gender inequalities and their recent dynamics in the five countries of Central Asia and proposes steps aimed at reducing them to advance inclusive growth, decent job creation and economic empowerment.