Are rural women disadvantaged in asset ownership and business relations in the Kyrgyz Republic?

This paper examines how, over the past 10 years, Kyrgyzstan has privatised most of its agricultural land and distributed it to individual households. These households either farm alone or join together and farm cooperatively. This research seeks to examine whether women have been adversely affected in the process of privatisation, asset ownership, or business development. While the legal rules do not disadvantage women, historical customs and beliefs play a major role in rural areas.Using a key informant and focus group approach, the authors find that women want to and do participate in the market economy. The major impediment to women in asset ownership and business relations is the traditional understanding of gender roles within a family or small business enterprise when both men and women are involved. Many programs exist to assist women in receiving credit and operating small, independently owned enterprises.The authors concludes that while dramatic change is not required, women would benefit from additional training, specifically in non-traditional areas for women such as business management and agronomy.