Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment: Update

Box 2: Talimarjan Power Project—Outcomes of the Gender Action Plan

the talimarjan power plant (tpp) was established in 1987 to (i) ensure a sustainable and high- quality supply of electricity to consumers in Samarkand, Bukhara, and Kashkadarya regions;
(ii) enhance energy reliability and power station efficiency; and (iii) reduce energy product consumption and negative impact on the environment.
In 2010–2011, two needs assessments identified key social issues in the tpp and Nuristan village, 28 kilometers from the Nishan district center, with a population of 30,000 (50% women).^a Social and gender issues included the following:

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  High staff turnover at the tpp. For instance, in 2016 the reform process in Uzbekenergo resulted in 270 job cuts, mainly in the subsidiary farm and landscaping unit.^b
  
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  Low representation of women in decision-making positions. In 2017, the education level of tpp’s 327 female employees was quite low, mostly limited to by secondary general and special education. the unemployment rate among female members of tpp employees’ families members was almost 50%.
  
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  In Nuristan, unsafe drinking water, unsustainable water supply, and irregular supply of natural gas and central heating. all sanitary facilities (e.g., toilet, bathroom) were outside the home. Lengthy electricity outages, along with poor power quality and frequent voltage fluctuations, had a negative effect on the Nuristan population, particularly women, the major power consumers in households. public transport to the district center was mostly available only in the daytime.
  
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  Considerable gaps in social infrastructure and working conditions (e.g., lack of separate shower rooms, appropriate toilets, pres-chools for children, hospital and medical facilities, and recreational infrastructure).
  

Most of these issues were addressed during Gap implementation. the new power line ensured sustainable electricity supply and produced dramatic improvements in the quality of life. In parallel, the project facilitated improvements in water supply reliability. a medical unit and a hospital opened to serve power plant employees and the Nuristan population, and medical

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22 Uzbekistan Country Gender Assessment Update

Box 2 continued

facilities were brought under the auspices of the Ministry of Health to ensure sustainability. Sanitary facilities for tpp employees were improved: adequate toilets and shower rooms, with separate facilities for female personnel, were provided.
Currently, there are three pre-schools and three secondary schools, as well as extended classes for primary school students. established in close collaboration with the plant trade union, the association of tpp female employees monitors women’s issues, maintains records on women and children who suffer from serious illnesses, and expedites aid from internal tpp funds.
the project has achieved overall success in the tpp controller unit, managed by local specialists (all males, however), who completed technical courses at tashkent and Karshi state universities. they have complete control over the highly technical power production process.
the ttp hires young female graduates of Nishan Vocational College (which specializes in energy, heat power engineering, automated control systems, oil and gas) for traditionally male jobs. this practice has helped change the traditional roles of young married women: families have begun choosing nontraditional education specialties for women because such choices enhance women’s potential for good jobs and decent salaries, thus increasing their contribution to the family budget.
during implementation, the percentage of female employees in the tpp rose from 19.5% to 27.7%. Uzbekenergo and tpp human resources staff were trained to collect and maintain sex- disaggregated data on employees and electricity users.
among capacity development interventions at the tpp, a series of educational programs was conceived jointly with the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan and Hamkor Bank to improve women’s financial literacy, family planning, and gender mainstreaming.
^a “adB. 2015. Talimarjan Power Project in Uzbekistan: GAP Progress Reports. adB. 2016. Talimarjan Power Project in Uzbekistan: GAP Progress Reports.
^b Male workers were offered farmland (1 hectare) in Yakkabag district to start an agricultural business. Women employees were supported through micro-loans for poultry growing. Some of the women were employed in the Uzkommunhizmat landscaping unit. (Information obtained from adB field surveys in tashkent, andijan, Namangan, and Kashkadarya regions in 2017 for the CGa update.
Source: adB. 2010. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors: Proposed Loan to the Republic of Uzbekistan for the Talimarjan Power Project. Manila. the project (Loan 2629/2630-UZB) began in 2010 and will end in 2018.”

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