New FAO gender profile highlights challenges and opportunities for rural women in Tajikistan

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has released the National gender profile of agriculture and rural livelihoods: Republic of Tajikistan, examining the causes and impacts of gender inequality in agriculture and rural development and offering recommendations for more inclusive and gender-responsive policies and practices.

Rural women leading agriculture

Women are the primary labour force in agriculture in Tajikistan and make critical contributions to food security. Due to social practices, however, their work remains undervalued, under-recognized and often unpaid.

More than 71 percent of the population of Tajikistan lives in rural areas, and over 60 percent of the labour force is employed in agriculture. Yet outmigration, particularly of men, has reshaped the demographic and social fabric of rural communities. Many villages are now mostly sustained by women, children and older people, with women stepping into roles traditionally held by men in farming and other rural occupations.

Persistent barriers and gender-based challenges

Despite their central role, rural women face disproportionate poverty, exclusion and discrimination. While most agricultural workers are women, they head less than one quarter of dehkan farms (smallholder family farms), and the plots they manage are generally smaller, restricting their participation in high-value value chains. Many women work in seasonal or unpaid family farming while also managing their households and families. This reduces their availability for training and limits their opportunities for decent employment and participation in decision-making.

Furthermore, limited access to quality seeds, fertilizers, modern equipment and credit reduces productivity on women-managed farms. Limited formal rights over land and natural resources further limit women’s ability to use land for economic purposes or as collateral for loans.

Labour migration adds another layer of complexity. While women take on greater farming responsibilities, remittances are often channeled to male relatives, leaving younger women with heavier workloads but little control over household resources. Women also are under-represented in water users’ associations, which restricts their say in decisions that directly affect irrigation and farm productivity.

Rural women’s lives are affected by poor infrastructure, including limited access to health services, child care, transport and clean energy. Many rural women also continue to face risks of domestic and community-based violence, often without sufficient access to legal protection and support.

Gender equality as a driver of rural development

These inequalities cannot be separated from broader issues in agriculture and rural development, the report says, including underinvestment in the sector, weak infrastructure, and the impacts of climate change. Addressing these issues requires gender-responsive policies that acknowledge the central role rural women play in the agricultural sector.

Positive steps have been taken at the policy level, including sectoral reforms and strategies on food security, rural development and climate change adaptation. The government also has set a clear direction through the National Strategy for the Activation of the Role of Women in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2021–2030. However, gaps remain between commitments and practice.

The assessment, which is part of FAO’s Country Gender Assessment Series, provides concrete recommendations for Tajikistan, including:

• improving access to quality inputs, modern technologies and gender-responsive extension services;
• supporting women’s participation in producer groups and decision-making bodies;
• investing in rural infrastructure, health, child care and energy;
• strengthening women’s land rights;
• enhancing women’s access to finance, entrepreneurship and market opportunities;
• expanding education, training and skills development for rural women and girls;
• improving gender-sensitive data and research to inform policies and programmes; and
• addressing gender-based violence and improving rural women’s legal literacy.

The assessment will serve as a key reference for policymakers, development partners and civil society actors and will guide FAO’s programming in Tajikistan to ensure that gender considerations are systematically integrated into projects and programmes.

By investing in women and men equally, Tajikistan can unlock the full potential of its rural communities, strengthen food and nutrition security, and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, in line with its national strategies and international commitments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the FAO Gender Equality Policy (2020–2030).