WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN UZBEKISTAN: A BREAKTHROUGH IN GENDER EQUALITY AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (2018–2025)
Keywords:
women’s entrepreneurship, gender equality, Uzbekistan reforms, economic empowerment, legislative changes, financial inclusion, businesswomen, Sustainable Development Goals, digital transformation, rural entrepreneurshipAbstract
Since the launch of large-scale reforms in 2017, Uzbekistan has transformed women’s entrepreneurship from a marginal phenomenon into one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic sectors of the national economy. Between 2018 and 2025, the number of women entrepreneurs increased more than sevenfold — from roughly 300,000 in early 2020 to over 2.1 million by the end of 2024. Women now own 40 % of all individual entrepreneurs and lead more than 43,860 small and micro enterprises (as of January 2025). Uzbekistan was recognised by the World Bank as one of the five most improved countries in the world in the Women, Business and the Law 2024 index (score 82.5/100) and became the leading reformer in Central Asia on gender equality indicators. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of legislative reforms, institutional mechanisms, financial support programmes, quantitative achievements, regional success stories, remaining challenges, and future prospects, demonstrating how targeted state policy and international cooperation have turned women’s economic empowerment into a genuine national success story.
