Abstract:

In Uzbekistan, starting from 1991, after independence legal documents have been adopted to develop small business and private entrepreneurship, particularly activities of women. As a result of these large-scale reforms carried out for the purpose of modernization and technological renewal, the share of women in private entrepreneurship has been constantly increasing in Uzbekistan. My contribution focuses on female entrepreneurs in the fashion industry of Uzbekistan and investigates the attributes of female entrepreneurs’ businesses and adoption of social media. This paper specifically looks at Instagram accounts of female entrepreneurs and analyzes how they promote their businesses; what ‘messages’ and ‘narratives’ they convey and how these are received by the audience such as potential clients and are reacted upon via comments.Drawing on the content analysis, in depth interviews and participant observation, I will explore how female entrepreneurs blend notions of modernity, success and emancipation with modesty, family values and ‘Uzbekness’ to create their specific digital “brands”. In that way, my paper aims to contribute to an emerging strand of research on the intersection of entrepreneurship with gender, ethnicity and culture in Central Asia.