Paper long abstract:

This article highlights the role of governments in promoting women's leadership in Central Asian countries. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union the status of women in political and public life of the countries has significantly worsened. Through a comprehensive study of the current legislative frameworks, institutional structures and national gender policies, it examines the current status of women in politics in terms of ensuring women's equal access to and full participation in power structures, decision-making and leadership. By revealing barriers, challenges, and opportunities women leaders are facing in Central Asia the study explores the rationale underlying male dominance in decision-making positions in the patriarchal public sector. Drawing on the research conducted by scholars in the East and West it discusses and further theorizes the importance of achieving gender balance in leadership via public policies and institutional reforms that may improve people wellbeing, human rights, human development, economic growth, and facilitate democratizing Central Asian countries. The role of international conventions, declarations, platforms for action, in empowering women in leadership is emphasized. Through the national and international databases and qualitative comparative analysis of government-led initiatives, this text rethinks our understanding of gender equality and the circumstances that lead to success in public policy and social change. It is shown that although the national governments have shown efforts to ensure women's empowerment, the effectiveness of these measures is low. The article concludes with possible explanations for the observed women under-representation, policy implications for decision makers to ensure gender diversity in leadership, and directions for further research of the role that governments play in women leadership development.

Paper long abstract:

In Mongolian herding households, do women who contribute more time to herding and related tasks have greater relative input into decisions about this important production? To understand sources of gender bargaining power in Mongolian herding households, we use a unique survey of 60 herding households in three regions. We analyze the relationship between the spousal division of labor in animal husbandry in Mongolia and the relative input of spouses into decision making related to this production. The survey is adapted from the Mongolian National Time Use Survey, the IFPRI Women's Empowerment in Agriculture surveys. We show the importance of disaggregating agricultural decision making data by activity in order to accurately describe relative bargaining power and the importance of linking time use and decision making data. Twenty percent of Mongolian households remain dependent on herding. By improving the measurement of gender bargaining power in rural households and demonstrating women's specific roles in herding, this work supports more effective use of the significant resources currently devoted to supporting herding households and rural women (Meurs, Amartuvshin and Banzragch, 2016).

Also: Otgontugs Banzragch, Mayagmarsuren Boldbaatar

Paper long abstract:

In Asian societies with a strong preference for sons, sex selection is a huge problem and has been practiced for decades: couples are using modern technologies to identify the sex of fetuses, followed by abortion of girls. There is strong evidence that it also occurs in some of the Post Soviet countries like Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Prenatal sex selection, a phenomenon which finds its roots in a culture of gender inequality and reinforces a climate of violence against women, has harmful consequences, including population imbalances, a rise in violence and criminality.

The paper explores what were the policies and how journalists and media report about those policies in Soviet and post- Soviet era. Paper compares the policies of women emancipation and abortion legalization/criminalization fashioned by Lenin, Stalin, Khruschev and other post-Soviet leaders. The study will compare how these policies were covered by media during the Soviet and current times - what are the features, differences and simmilarities.

Study provide recommendations for journalists and policy makers to resolve the social, economic, and ethical dillemas they are approaching in this regards.