Uzbekistan 2024: New Opportunities for Women

The Women, Business and the Law (WBL) Index, developed by the World Bank, is an international indicator designed to assess laws regulating women’s economic participation, rights, and opportunities. This index measures the level of women’s legal rights in areas such as economic environment, labor market, entrepreneurship, property rights, safety, and social protection.

In 2024, the WBL methodology was updated to version 2.0, introducing new categories such as Safety and Childcare. These changes have made the global evaluation of gender equality even more comprehensive.

Uzbekistan’s Position in the WBL 2024 Ranking

In the updated 2024 WBL ranking, Uzbekistan scored 82.5 points and was recognized among the “top reformer countries.” These results are directly relevant for the education sector, especially for the University of Digital Economy and Agro-Technologies (UDEA).

Labor Legislation Reforms

• Strengthening equality in marriage and property rights
• Adoption of political and legal measures aimed at promoting gender equality

WBL 2024: Strengths and Weaknesses (Uzbekistan)

Indicator	Score (0–100)	Description	Relevance to the Education Sector
Mobility	100	Equal rights for obtaining passports, changing residence, and free movement	Expands opportunities for student and faculty mobility and international academic exchanges
Pay	100	Equal pay for equal work guaranteed by law	Ensures pay equality for women in universities, boosting motivation in academic activities
Marriage	100	Equality in marriage, divorce, and property rights	Ensures personal stability for students and staff
Entrepreneurship	100	Full rights for women to start businesses, access credit, and sign contracts	Supports entrepreneurial initiatives and startup projects within universities
Assets	100	Equality in ownership, inheritance, and property use rights	Ensures equal access to financial resources for educational and scientific projects
Safety	25	Laws exist, but protection mechanisms are insufficient	Highlights the need for preventive and protective measures on campus
Childcare	40	Insufficient childcare infrastructure	Indicates the need for daycare centers and flexible learning for students and staff with children
Workplace	50	Issues related to discrimination and hazardous work remain	Requires reducing gender discrimination within academic institutions
Parenthood	60	Parental leave policies need development	Calls for flexible work and study schedules for student-parents
Pension	50	Some imbalances in the pension system for women	Emphasizes the need for long-term social guarantees for academic staff

WBL 2.0: Uzbekistan’s Results (2024)

Category	Score (0–100)	Description	Relevance to the Education Sector
Legal frameworks	75	Legal guarantees for gender equality	Ensures rights protection within universities
Supportive frameworks	55.8	State policies and infrastructure supporting women	Highlights the need for supportive programs for students and staff
Enforcement perceptions	53.8	Expert assessment of how laws work in practice	Indicates the need for better implementation and monitoring of gender equality in education

Major Reforms Implemented in Uzbekistan (2022–2024)

• New Labor Code (2022): strengthened equal pay principle and removed occupational restrictions for women
• Legislation Against Domestic Violence (2023): tougher penalties and introduction of protection orders
• Support for Entrepreneurship: new government programs supporting women-led businesses

Conclusion

In 2024, Uzbekistan demonstrated significant progress in the WBL index, particularly in entrepreneurship, property rights, and labor equality. However, the education sector still needs to prioritize:

• Ensuring safety for students and staff (Safety)
• Developing childcare and early education infrastructure (Childcare)
• Implementing gender equality in practice within academic institutions (Workplace and Parenthood)
• Improving long-term social guarantees and pension systems (Pension)

Strengthening gender equality policies in the education sector and universities will not only support women’s academic and professional development but also contribute directly to the country’s socio-economic progress.