Paper abstract:

The number of Uzbek migrants in Türkiye has increased in recent years. Even though studies on migration from Uzbekistan are springing up, there is very little work on the informal labor market of Uzbek women. The study focuses on examining the stories of migrant women at Mardikor Bazaar in Gungoren, Istanbul. The originality of mardikor comes from the Persian words a man (mard) and work (kor), meaning man's daily physical labor. However, since the Mardikor bazaar is gender-specific, Uzbek women organize it as the informal labor market in Türkiye. In particular, the interviews with 20 Uzbek migrant women involved in mardikor work provide a picture of the daily informal work. By analyzing the successes and failures of Uzbek migrant workers in Türkiye, the study provides some new empirical and evidence-based insights into labor influx.

Keywords: migration, labor, Uzbek, Türkiye, informality, mardikor

Paper abstract:

When exploring the question of female solidarity in an Islamic pious setting in Kyrgyzstan, one can observe a discourse that diverges from the western feminist discourses concerning women’s rights. Several topics have especially proven to be contentious, and seem to have irreconcilable positions. One such topic is the position of the kelin, the daughter-in-law who is ought to serve her family in-law. The viewpoints of several feminist activists, criticizing the tradition of the kelin, are often considered an attack on the Kyrgyz culture and integrity. At the same time ustazy, female Islamic teachers, discuss the issue during lectures. They offer advice in order to improve the relationship of kelins with their in-laws. This approach proves to be appealing, and tackles the issue without criticizing the essence of the tradition. In this paper, I aim to offer an ethnographic study of the discourses and dynamics of support that are offered by ustazy in the setting of women-only lectures regarding the position of the kelin in the family. I argue that these women navigate Kyrgyz traditions and religious sources, in order to shape a discourse that can provide support to women suffering from their position as kelins. For this paper, I have collected data from the field in several lectures with religious orientation in Bishkek and in the Osh region, interviews and posts on social media. This article aims to contribute to the discussions on female piety and women’s rights in Central Asia.

Paper abstract:

Do women suffer just because they are women? Or, do they suffer due to tradition, religion, economic hardships, etc.? Or, is it all because of these factors together? This study aims to examine the “women question” with an intersectional approach in Uzbekistan since single-axis approach is not sufficient to explain the systematic oppression experienced by women. Therefore, with the help of interviews on women’s experiences during the transition period from the USSR to independent Uzbekistan, this study will interpret women’s question with an intersectional approach.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women who worked in various fields to explore that transition through women’s eyes and works. The fieldwork (33 interviews in Uzbekistan in 2022) included interviews with women who worked from 1985 to 1995 in any business sector in Uzbekistan. The interviews included women who had to leave their academic life and become suitcase traders to take care of their children, women who could not get an education because their husbands did not allow them, women who worked in factories, women who were doctors, teachers, professors, librarians, or women who were coming from an intellectual or wealth family. The interviewees were selected from diverse backgrounds, including Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Russian women born, educated and working in Andijon and Tashkent provinces.