Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment: Update

Agriculture and Natural resources

1. Context

In 2015, the share of agriculture in Gdp was 15.4%.¹⁴⁵ the number of people employed in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries declined between 1999 and 2016 (36.2% vs. 27.4%,
respectively).¹⁴⁶ this decrease was largely due to the higher-paid jobs in manufacturing favored by men, and to labor out-migration. Between 2014 and 2016, women’s share of employment in small and micro businesses (including farms) slowly increased (21.7% vs. 22.5%, respectively).¹⁴⁷ Moreover, women have increased their presence in trade and hospitality services (e.g., catering and restaurants) to 22% since 2000.¹⁴⁸ table 6 shows the gender breakdown of Uzbekistan’s urban and rural population in 2017.

Table 6: Sex-Disaggregation of Urban and rural Population, January 2018

Population Group	Urban Population			rural Population
	Amount ('000)	Total Population (%)	Total Urban Population (%)		Amount ('000)	Total Population (%)	Total rural Population (%)
Women	8,264.4	25.3	50.0		7,994.4	24.5	49.6
Men	8,268.3	24.7	50.%		8,129.6	24.9	50.4
Total	16,532.7	50.0	100%		16,124.0	49.4	100

Source: data provided by the State Committee on Statistics to adB in april 2018 for this CGa update.

2. Government Commitments

articles 169, 175, and 178 of the Strategy of actions for 2017–2021 provide for agriculture modernization and for adB loan expenditure ($150 million each for the export of horticulture production and for the establishment of an import substitution fund). Vital reform processes relate to key players in the sector (the Ministry of agriculture and Water Resources, and Suvokava JSC).¹⁴⁹ the establishment of the State Forestry Committee under the Cabinet of




¹⁴⁵ UzReport. 2017. Online resource. http://news.uzreport.uz/news_4_r_136012.html (accessed 18 October 2017).
¹⁴⁶ UN development program and Center for economic Research under the CoM of Uzbekistan. 2015. Employment in Uzbekistan: Challenges and Perspective. tashkent. Uzbekistan. p. 19. http://www.cer.uz/upload/iblock/5b7/
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¹⁴⁷ data provided by the State Committee on Statistics to adB in September[en dash]October 2017 for this CGa update.
¹⁴⁸ adB. 2017. Promoting Good Jobs for Inclusive Growth through Agricultural and Natural Resources Projects in Central and West Asia. Manila. p. 7.
¹⁴⁹ Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers (30 October 2015). On Measures to Implement the Main Directions of Development of the Organizations of Water Supply and Sanitation Services; decree of the president #2878 (10 april 2017). On Introducing Changes in the Structure of the Central Apparatus of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Republic of Uzbekistan; decree of the president #4857 (17 November 2016). On Establishment of JSC UzAgroSanoatConsulting.
Mainstreaming Gender in ADB Operations, by Sector 51

Ministers demonstrates the government’s commitment to forests in the national economy in the face of global environmental challenges and climate change. ¹⁵⁰ Other reform initiatives relate to horticulture¹⁵¹ and improved veterinary services.¹⁵²

although Uzbekistan has a range of legal and policy provisions for agriculture, most do not relate directly to women. Some provisions (e.g., some home-based cultivation of living silkworm cocoons) affect women indirectly through job creation schemes.¹⁵³

3.