ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses mainly on middle-class and working-class women in Central Asia. It provides an overview of the situation of women during the Soviet era, so as to provide historical background, and focuses on Central Asian women in the post-Soviet period. The chapter presents case studies of women in Central Asia so as to cast light on some of the unique situations and social relations that women navigate. It discusses two other elements related to the lives of Central Asian women as well as women's agency and decision-making. Most of the women from the case studies had financial independence, and their "voices were heard" at least within their nuclear family. Most of them were active agents in shaping their future and making decisions whether financial, personal, or social. The chapter examines some of the salient issues related to gender roles as they are undergoing major transformation in Central Asia.
