Gender Relations in Central Asia

This chapter contextualizes the study and provides an overview of gender relations and migration in Central Asia based on existing literature. In order to understand the roles played by men, societal perceptions of manhood and societal expectations from men, one has to look at a broader social fabric. This fabric includes both women and men, and in particular their interrelation. This involves power relations, divisions of responsibilities and social expectations that the two genders hold of each other. The social fabric also includes aspects such as organization of community, family structure and intergenerational relations, as well as state politics which regulate gender roles. This is precisely what this chapter reveals. It provides an overview of the main arguments on gender relations in Central Asia, which emerge from the academic literature on migration, family and gender, including femininity, masculinity and their intersections, focusing particularly on Tajikistan. It discusses the trends in existing research, summarizes the main arguments and points to gaps in the literature. Moreover, this chapter explores continuity and changes in gender relations that have been evolving in the region during pre-Soviet, Soviet and post-Soviet periods.