Paper short abstract:

This paper examines Uzbekistan's agricultural cluster reforms, showing how they increased female labor participation while reinforcing gender disparities. It contributes to understanding the interplay of economic reforms, labor markets, and structural inequalities in transition economies.

Paper long abstract:

This study investigates the impact of Uzbekistan's agricultural cluster reforms on female labor participation. These reforms, aimed at boosting productivity and attracting private investment, were implemented by integrating supply chains. Using a difference-in-differences (DiD) approach with survey data from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan (2018 and 2022), this study reveals that the cluster reforms heterogeneously increased female employment while reinforcing gender- and skill-based polarization. Agricultural cluster reforms increased female participation in permanent roles, particularly for skilled workers, while also expanding the prevalence of seasonal hired labor characterized by lower pay, informal contracts, and job insecurity. Mechanization, as a complementary factor, encourages the participation of skilled females in permanent jobs but substitutes unskilled seasonal female labor.