Julia Eckert, Georg Elwert (1996):
Land Tenure in Uzbekistan

5. Social effects of the land reform

The social effects of the land reform can only be speculated on because firstly, the sample cannot offer any representative findings. Secondly, the reform has been introduced in most places only a very short time ago; it has not had much of an impact on social conditions yet. Possible trends are visible, though.

5.1 The change in the position of women

As mentioned above, women can obtain Shirkat leases and shares, but they are only a small portion of private farmers. There are government programmes to decrease the number of women working in agriculture (and other physically hard sectors of industry.) [FN 130] Women are supposed to join retraining projects in handicrafts and textiles. Some of these projects have started. Mainly though, women have lost their jobs first or left them to work on the field of the family. Usually they do not register unemployed. [FN 131]

The government-programmes also aim at decreasing the birth rate and stretching the birth intervals from the current one year to three year intervals. Women are financially supported to stay at home and look after the children. [FN 132]

However the policy to favour families with many children in the distribution of land, and to make available family manpower a main criteria for eligibility to a lease could encourage families to have many children. Smallholdings also often cannot afford employed labour; they work most efficiently with many family members joining in.

The current hardship and the uncertainty governing future planning makes people consider to have fewer children. [FN 133] However, "that's what they always say." [FN 134] : Contraception is not easily available and is not popular among the rural population. It is prestigious to have large families and the extended family is seen as a social insurance. The trust in the social safety net of the state, such as pensions for the old and the handicapped and secure housing is still prevailing from Soviet times. But state pensions do not support a living any more and even wages cannot be relied upon. Thus, reliance on children for old age security might grow in importance and be an incentive for larger families.

Above all there are many needs in daily life which can only be managed in co-operation, and assistance is asked mainly of relatives. Not only old age is secured by the younger generation but also the net between brothers and sister, cousins and other relatives is an important factor in managing daily life. Therefore the extended family and many children will stay important or even increase in importance in the context of rural life.