<p>In Central Asia, water is a vital yet contested resource, governed by institutions that often overlook the role of gender in shaping access, authority, and participation. This paper examines the gendered contours of water governance in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, where irrigation systems serve as both lifelines for agriculture and arenas of socio-political negotiation. Based on original qualitative methodology including interviews with women farmers, irrigation officials, and community leaders, this study explores how women experience and navigate exclusion from formal decision-making structures while simultaneously contributing to the everyday functioning of rural water systems. In both countries, informal negotiations, kinship ties, and gendered labor expectations shape how water is distributed and disputes are resolved. The findings suggest that water governance reforms remain incomplete without a critical gender lens that moves beyond representation and into redistribution of power and recognition. By foregrounding women’s situated knowledge and adaptive strategies, this research highlights the need for inclusive governance frameworks that account for both institutional design and social realities.</p>