Expanding Opportunities in Technology Job Market for Women can Decrease Pay Gap between Men and Women in Tajikistan

February 26, 2021


Dushanbe, 25 February 2021 – Creating opportunities and building equity for women to join technology job market can cut pay gap between men and women in Tajikistan and help the country increase gender balance rate as per the National Development Strategy, UNDP gender assessment on women’s role in refrigeration and air conditioning sector reveals. The results were presented at a workshop to highlight the benefits of gender mainstreaming for the country’s economy.

The assessment was conducted as a baseline study for the GEF funded project on promoting ozone layer preservation and is aimed at increasing the role of women in technology sector in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and the country’s National Development Strategy. Ministry of Labour of the Republic of Tajikistan, Committee of Women and Family Affairs under the Government of Republic of Tajikistan and other state agencies and institutions contributed data for this assessment.

According to the report, women in Tajikistan earn on average 64.1% compared to men, or 64 dirams per every Somoni earned by men. A complex set of issues stands behind such pay gap, including prevalence of men in technology sector with higher average income, while the number of women prevails in humanitarian professions, health care, and education, and gender stereotypes are the main reason for such disparity.

Overall, Tajikistan’s legislation is evaluated positively as either gender sensitive or gender neutral. However, the legal act banning women from heavy work, although initially put in place as a measure to protect their health, has been deemed as a barrier for women to enter certain higher paid types of jobs and potentially discriminatory, particularly as new heavy lifting technology makes this legal act obsolete.

Gender stereotypes, on the other hand become a hurdle at a much earlier stage, pressuring girls to steer clear of professions inherently perceived as masculine. “Gender segregation starts with education. The gap emerges immediately after the compulsory school years with some regional differences” the report reads. The percentage of girls choosing technology as their major is extremely low, ranging from 0.7 to less than five in such sectors as transportation, energy, radio electronic technology, construction, and ICT.  

Gender disparity has been noted as a challenge for the country’s socio-economic development in the National Development Strategy. According to the National Report on Implementation of Strategic Documents of the Country, only 26 per cent of women are involved in industry and service sectors, and only 20 per cent of women are engaged in private sector.

UNDP-GEF “Complete hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and Phase-Out in Tajikistan through Promotion of zero ozone depleting substances (ODP), low Global Warming Product, Energy Efficient Technologies” project supports the Government in implementation of national legislation to achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their adverse impacts on human health and the environment as well as promoting women participation in technology sector.

For more information please contact: Rukhshona Nazhmidinova, Communications Analyst, UNDP in Tajikistan (Tel.: +992 (44) 6005600, E-mail: Rukhshona.nazhmidinova@undp.org).


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