Long Abstract:

When Central Asia was part of the Soviet Union, the status of women was elevated. Campaigns like the “hudjum” of the late 1920s, forced an end to the concealing clothing and the cloistered life many women had endured for centuries. Women entered the workforce in the Soviet Union in large numbers, a process greatly hastened during World War Two when many men were called away to fight in Europe.

But the freedoms and relative equality of women during the Soviet period has at times been difficult to preserve since 1991 independence. In many parts of Central Asia, patriarchal society is returning, often supported by the resurgence of Islam.

The status of women, so far, is not endanger of returning to the 19th Century or earlier, but women are having difficulties preserving gains made under the Soviet system and furthering their roles in society, particularly in business and governance.

Join the live recording of RFE/RL's Majlis Podcast discussing the role of women in governance and politics in Post-Soviet Central Asia, their success and challenges.

Panellists TBC.