Gender survey in Atbashin District of Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan

Study areas

For this gender survey were selected five farms: Kazybek; Bash Koindy; Aga Koindy; Bolshevik; Kyzyl Tuu of Atbashin district, Naryn province.

Cattle breeding and partly farming provide the basis for economy in the district. The largest national cattle market is in this district. In addition, the only brickyard is in operation here. From year to year, the agricultural sector is developing due to livestock’s growth. The natural conditions are favorable for development of cattle-breeding farms. District’s residents are traditionally engaged in cattle breeding, although during recent years, they started to cultivate potato, carrot, and cabbage, and they are busy in poultry farming as well.

Households and their owners

109 households with 653 residents were surveyed. Figure 1 shows a ratio of men and women who head households. In 95.4 percent of cases, men are the legal owners of households, and such a picture is observed all over the country. If there is not a husband or male child of the full legal age in the family, only in this case, a woman can be recognized as an owner of her household. An average age of men and women in surveyed households is 45 and 48 correspondingly.

Fig. 1

General characteristics of households and their sizes

The rural type of households was selected to carry out this gender survey. Each family actually has its garden plot where they cultivate food crops and raise livestock. One hundred percent of families have fields where they raise wheat and other various crops. Fields’ sizes are different and vary from 1.5 to 60 hectares.

Figure 2 presents data (average data per one family in the district under consideration) on areas occupied by houses, garden plots, and fields. Figure 2 shows that, on average, a size of a yard including a house with adjoining sheds, cow-houses and other premises is 0.14 ha. This area is sufficient to raise ample quantity of cattle. An average area under a garden plot belonging to one family amounts to 0.28 ha. They cultivate vegetables on their garden plot mainly for their own consumption. Some families also have orchards, an average area of which equals to 0.01 ha. In most cases, women and men are equally using their garden plots. Moreover, women and men are equally engaged in fattening of cattle if this is not a specialized livestock farm.

Fig. 2

In some cases, the family has cropland, which is a long-term tenement with the right of succession. Farmers who raise cattle, started to use services of veterinarians and the technical extensions. In addition, they have possibilities to use micro crediting. The above-listed services facilitate to promote economic standards of farmers. Peasants raise wheat and other crops (sugar beet, potato, vegetables, and fodder crops) on their plots. Figure 3 shows that, on average, one family has about 8 hectares of cropland. According to the diagram, about 40 percent of all cropland are sown with wheat.

Fig. 3

General characteristics of households and their sizes

Vegetables and fruits grown on garden plots are insufficiently diverse; potato and anion are mainly grown (Table 1). As regards livestock and poultry, most families (practically 100 percent) raise sheep in their households. 98.2 percent of families raise cows (the second rank), and 66 percent of families keep goats. 44.95 percent of families keep hens (Table 2).

Composition of the rural family

As a rule, the Kyrgyz rural family is numerous. An average size of the family amounts to six people (the number of family’s members ranges from 2 to 16 persons). Usually, the family consists of two spouses and children, whose number varies from two to fourteen. Sometimes, aged parents live together with them. Table 3 shows a composition indicator of the average rural family (Column 2) and the percentage of its members (Column 3), if the total number of members living in a household is taken as 100 percent.

Birth rate

The analysis of rural families’ composition (Fig. 4) shows that the birth rate curve steeply descends after the 1980s, however, since 1991 there was some raising, which continued until the end of the 1990s. Then again, decrease in the birth rate took place. The birth rate has achieved the level of the beginning of the 1990s. It should be noted that Kyrgyzstan has followed the trends, which existed over the entire post-Soviet territory during recent years.

Fig. 4

The natural and geographical conditions influence the demographic situation related to the rather numerous amount of children in families in the surveyed district. For a long time, Kyrgyz people live in mountainous regions, which is difficult of access and wide of the modern civilization. Owing to living in remote places from settlements, and hence from some medical posts, children born under such conditions not always were viable enough. Many children of different ages deprived of timely vaccination and other medical aid did not reach the adult age. Therefore, in the past, families had to have many children since they kept in mind that not all children would survive. At present, the living conditions of Kyrgyz rural inhabitants are changing in many respects, and at the same time, the deep-rooted opinion on the number of children undergoes changes. Most respondents consider that an ordinary family should have, on average, 2 to 4 children (the opinion of 58.4 percent of men and 60.7 percent of women) or 4 to 5 children (the opinion presented by 12.2 percent of men and 14 percent of women) (see Figure 5). Regardless of traditions, 16 percent of men and 16.8 percent of women consider that 1 to 2 children in the family are enough amount.

Fig. 5

This diagram shows that opinions of men and women regarding an amount of children are approximately identically distributed. However, due to an average age of surveyed inhabitants (an average age of men is more than 35 years and of women about 38 years), as a rule, these are organized families with many children. Therefore, owing to their age, most men (87.7%) and women (97.1%) gave the negative answer to the question: “Do you want to have any more children?” (Figure 6).

Fig. 6

Marriage age (nobility)

Figure 7 shows that the picture of marriage of rural residents is rather traditional. Introduction of more civilized style of life, higher level of education and many other factors have exerted influence upon social psychology and the way of life of modern rural inhabitants. Most women get married at the age of 20 to 25 (57.9% and 24.5% correspondingly). At the same time, men create their families mainly at the age of 18 to 25 (87%). By the time of marriage, they acquire a profession and are able to endow their families. According to respondents, an entering into a marriage is commonly based on request of parents or older brothers; however, an opinion of marriageable girls and boys is taken into consideration.

Fig. 7

Economic aspects

Forming the rural family’s budget

According to selected data, main sources of households’ income (Figure 8) are the following:

personal garden plots;
labor at a permanent place of employment or temporary work for a wage, by one or all capable members of a family;
state funds allocated to specific social groups of the population in the form of pensions, benefits, grants etc.; and
secondary employment;

Fig. 8

Other sources of income do not play an essential role in the family budget. Main sources of income of rural residents in surveyed villages in Kyrgyzstan are income generated on personal garden plots (91%). In this case, income generated on personal garden plots implies money gained from produce grown on their fields and output received from fattening cattle and small cattle. Many of farmers have rather large incomes generated owing to their farm business. In recent years, such incomes result from considerable rise in prices of meat and dairy products in cities. During our survey, many farmers complained that during last two years on end, they could not sale their agricultural produce in time, and suggested to establish procurement agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Kyrgyz Republic. It is necessary to note that women are mainly workers hired by farmers, or they work on the farms of their husbands. Income received from permanent jobs (3.4%) is wages from state institutions and organizations. In these cases, women work in schools, kindergartens, and hospitals. Men work in the brickyard. Input of pensioners and members of the family receiving state benefits into the family budget amounts to 2.8 percent. It should be noted that this income is exclusively based on payments to retired and disabled people. Income related to secondary employment amounts to 0.9 percent. However, it should be mentioned that only 0.5 percent of men and 0.03 percent of women have secondary employment.

Input of women into the family’s budget (Fig. 9) is less than that of men only by 1.8 times, in spite of the fact that women are more engaged in housekeeping, and this workload is very heavy but is difficultly measured in money terms. The greatest share of women’s income (28.6%) is generated from agricultural activity (Figure 10); their labor in full-time jobs generates only 0.6 percent of income.

Fig. 9

Income per capita can be used as an indicator of the standard of living. It amounts to US$ 103.9 per month in Kyrgyzstan. Only 3.9 percent of respondents gave a positive answer to the question: «Does current family income satisfy you?» It must be said that income per capita in Kyrgyzstan is variable. It depends on annual yields, market prices etc.

Expenses of rural families

Earned income in rural families (Fig. 11), first of all, is distributed between the needs of the family itself and the production costs. The production costs include expenses for developing farms, purchase of seeds, household implements, and young cattle for fattening. Figure 11 shows that the production costs amount to 33.8 percent of income.

Fig. 10

Fig. 11

In their turn, funds allocated for the needs of the family are used for financing a number of items necessary for supporting the family’s life (Figure 12) that consist of the following:

foodstuff;
non-food items;
household needs;
medicines and medical services;
public utilities services;
education; and
other expenses.

Fig. 12

As was mentioned with respect to other countries, expenses for foodstuff are a very important indicator of family’s welfare. If these expenses exceed 20 percent of income then the income cannot be considered as sufficient. In our case, expenses for foodstuff, on average, make up 41.8 percent of income. However, it is necessary to note that the difference in expenses for food within the republic is considerable (from 10% to 80%).

The proportion of families whose expenditures for food do not exceed 15 to 20 percent is negligible, only 6 percent of all surveyed families. Expenses for medicines and medical services (4.3%) are also extremely small. Taking into consideration our attention to gender aspects, expenses of men and women for their own personal needs (for example, expenses for hygienic materials etc.) are of interest. Men and women cannot satisfy their personal needs in full; these figures are rather small in Kyrgyzstan and amount to US$ 1.9 for men and US$ 2.5 for women on average (Fig. 13). However, in this case, it seems an extreme extent of money saving takes place or rural inhabitants consider that everything required is purchased for the family, and it is not required additionally to spend money for their personal needs.

Fig. 13

Foodstuff consumption

The concern for public health is necessary in order to support stability and development of society. At that, the standards of nutrition play an important role. As is well known, a personal diet depends on well-being of human beings, their incomes, personal tastes, traditions, etc. The following set of products makes up the basic diet of rural residents in the surveyed district: flour, bread, meat products, fish, milk, cereals, macaroni products, sugar, animal and vegetative fats, various vegetables, and fruit. However, there are so-called medical rates of food consumption, and their infringement results in abnormalities in development and vital functions of a human being. One should not associate these medical rates with a basket of goods, which directly depends on the economic status of the region as a whole. These medical rates can be considered as the standard for the balanced nutrition. A specific amount and combination of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins provide calories to a human being’s organism, ensuring his mental and physical abilities. According to data on Akbashin District, the high level of consumption of bakery products and meat is observed. Figure 14 shows that consumption of mentioned foodstuff and some other foodstuff by rural inhabitants exceeds the standard norms. Actual monthly consumption of meat makes up 2.5 kg per capita against 2.3 kg per capita according to the norms, of bakery products - 10.5 kg per capita against 9.2 kg per capita according to the norms; of vegetable oil - 1.3 per capita against 0.6 kg per capita according to the norms; of sugar - 2.1 kg per capita against 1.8 kg per capita according to the norms, correspondingly. At the same time, the lower level of consuming vegetables, fruit, and fish products is observed in the district under consideration. Although potato is the most popular food (after flour and bread), its consumption is less than rates. Such nutrition can be considered as a completely balanced diet.

Fig. 14

Gender status in a family

As has been mentioned above, women of this district, similar to women all over the republic, are mainly working in the following sectors: public health, education, social service, culture etc. Women do not participate practically in the process of decision-making related to economic policy of this district including development of financial, budgetary, commercial, and other economic aspects; and their opinion is usually not taken into account at the farm level.

Nongovernmental female organizations that defend the interests of women, their families, and children have been established and are successfully functioning in the district. Keeping in mind present requirements, many female organizations show interest in supporting the small business in rural districts in an effort to establish the framework for self-employment and adaptation to new market relations (for example, establishing business-incubators).

Fig. 15

This survey has shown that opinions regarding the status of women within the family are somewhat different from opinions regarding the status of women in public sector at the district level. 65 percent of men and 2.8 percent of women consider that a woman plays the leading role, at the same time, 33.9 percent of men and 92.5 percent of women consider the position of a woman as equal to a man. However, an indicator of actual equality in rights of women within families can be the right to manage the family’s budget according to her discretion i.e. to have access to financial resources, and to make decisions. A woman can possess this right if she has economic independence from her husband or other members of her family. As mentioned above, the income of women is two times less than the income of men. However, only 2.8 percent of men and 3.7 percent of women consider that women have the right to manage the family budget; 53.7 percent of men and 0.9 percent of women consider that only men can do it. 37.7 percent of men and 86.9 of women think that all decisions regarding expenses should be jointly made (Figure 16).

Fig. 16

The right to participate in decision-making regarding purchase is the important indicator of the status of women in a family. In this case, purchasing of goods and services (regardless their costs) for family’s needs is kept in mind. The overwhelming majority of men (64.1%) and only 5.6 percent of women have answered that a man himself makes decision with respect to a purchase; 33 percent of men and 91.5 percent of women consider that a purchase should be made after consultation with a husband (Figure 17).

Fig. 17

Labor and employment

Employment of rural men and women

Findings of the gender survey show that in a rural family, both spouses are not only actual but also necessary “bread-winners.” It allows speaking about the almost equal responsibilities of men and women for welfare of their families. The analysis performed enables us to draw a conclusion that women are working in the public sector, in farms, and on personal garden plots, and, at the same time, they are busy in all housekeeping work and duties such as cooking, laundering, cleaning, and care for children and aged people. However, the time deficit limits the women’s potential to participate in public production in full measure. A woman, who is engaged in managing her personal garden plot under conditions of lack of specific machinery and sufficient funding and in housekeeping, which cannot be evaluated in money terms, apparently has income in cash equivalent less than a man. As a rule, if women are working in the public sector, they work at low-paying jobs.

Time budget

We asked respondents to describe their daily routine in order to have more detailed information on the division of labor between men and women in the rural area regarding both income-generating activity and housekeeping.

The key matter of the gender problem is rural employment (both men and women). As was mentioned, the main source of rural families’ income in surveyed districts of Kyrgyzstan (90.2%) is farmer’s activity. As was identified, income of women is about half the income of men. However, if we take into consideration that a woman carries out actually all housekeeping works and duties including cooking, laundering, cleaning, and bringing up children, it become obvious that she is engaged considerably more than a man. In comparing with a man, a woman spends her time for housekeeping more than 2 times (Fig. 18). The diagram shows how much time per a week men and women are engaged in both socially useful works and housekeeping. In Table 4, we tried to show the time proportion in the workload on men and women in percent. Data of this table make it clear that men spend more time for a wage work (14.7 times) and working on their garden plots (2 times). Men are busy with visiting a market, watching TV, and fulfilling devotions 1.5 times more, on average. Women spend for cooking, laundering, washing, and nursing, on average, more than 27 hours a week in contrast to men, who practically do not do these activities.

Fig. 18

Based on above, it is possible to draw a conclusion that in the overwhelming majority of families, a woman carries out housekeeping duties. She makes her input in the form of manual labor for maintaining some comfort and cleanness in her house and cooking in spite of her work in the public sector and on her own personal garden plot. It is the fact that women practically do not have time for valuable leisure and entertainment. Therefore, Kyrgyz women gave a negative answer to a question concerning their wish to manage their households (81.3 percent of women gave a negative answer against 19.6 percent of women who gave a positive answer) (Fig. 19).

Fig. 19

Education and cultural aspects

This survey has shown that the level of education of rural inhabitants is relatively high (Fig. 20). More than half all men and women in the surveyed district (63.2% and 61.6% correspondingly) have secondary education, i.e. they left secondary school. There are secondary schools in each rural administrative unit. However, there is the lack of teachers for some subjects in rural schools. Schools in this district are ill heated in the winter, and redecoration of schools is annually made at the expense of parents. 17.7 percent of women have specialized secondary education. 20.7 percent of men and 15.8 percent of women have graduated from university. Respondents-farmers have mentioned that education is the important component in achieving success in their life.

Fig. 20

Leisure and entertainment of rural inhabitants is rather monotonous (Figure 21). Due to the lack of functioning cultural institutions (cultural centers, clubs, cinema theatres etc.) most respondents have quite limited possibilities for valuable leisure. As entertainment, almost one hundred percent of inhabitants prefer watching TV and meetings with friends. Young people prefer mainly to visit clubhouses; at the same time, older people prefer to read newspapers.

Fig. 21

Medical care

Rural residents do not generally have the specialized medical aid posts in their residential area and, therefore, they have to go to a polyclinic or a hospital in the regional administrative center to receive qualified medical services. Data of the gender survey shows that 48.5 percent of women and 40.5 percent of men prefer to visit private clinics for medical aid (Fig. 22) having financial resources for these purposes. 47.6 percent of women and 54.7 percent of men found difficulty in answering given questions. It confirms that the situation in the medical care in Kyrgyzstan is approaching to satisfactory one.

Fig. 22

Priority goals and personal features necessary for achieving success

Female respondents were asked to answer the following question: what goals do they have in their life? What does each woman aspire to in order to make sense of her life and to gain satisfaction? Data of the gender survey shows that family’s happiness and welfare are the leading goal for rural women, and active participation in the social life is the secondary aspect of their life (Fig. 23).

Fig. 23

Women specified intellect, diligence, to be well-bred, honesty, adherence to principle, and education as chief personal features necessary for achieving success. They consider such features as strength of character, perseverance, selflessness i.e. those features that promote to be an active member of society as secondary features (Fig 24).

Fig. 24

Water use

The shirkats renders services (97.2%) on domestic-potable water supply to the population, institutions, and organizations of districts where irrigation water is a main source of water supply (Fig. 25). Not all rural residents in study regions faced water use problems equally. The level of water supply is directly related to the seasonality, for example, there are irregularities of water supply in the spring-summer period. As a whole, it is possible to assert that water supply is not always equal and regular (Fig 26).

Fig. 25

Fig. 26

The overwhelming majority of respondents (65.1%) consider that there are seasonal limitations in water supply, and 33.9 percent of respondents consider that there are also hourly limitations in water supply; and 60.5 percent of respondents assert that there are no problems with water supply.

Only a few households have full access to the water-pipe systems. With respect to irrigation water, it is possible to assert that some villages do not face water deficit for irrigation and domestic uses. Although there are some seasonal and hourly limitations in water supply, however, a half of all respondents consider that potable water (49.95%) and irrigation water (49.55%) are quite accessible even in the summer period (Figure 27).

Fig. 27

According to 91.7 percent of respondents, water conflicts among inhabitants take place in the summer period, and they are settled not always peacefully. To settle disputes sometimes interference of the local government is necessary. The priorities are specified on the basis of mutual agreements, first of all, taking into consideration the needs and importance of water supply for specific uses. 8.2 percent of respondents consider that there are not causes for water conflicts (Fig. 28). By the example of water allocation, it is possible to show that women have quite limited access to the decision-making, process (Fig. 29). They can distribute water in their own household (99.9%) but not at the farm level). Since they completely manage housekeeping, water use in households is the priority of women. It may be mentioned that women have possibilities to distribute water at the farm level only in 4.5 percent of cases. WUAs, which should improve access of farmers to water resources are in the process of establishing in Atbashin District.

Fig. 28

Fig. 29

Household water use

According to data of the survey of rural households (Figure 30) the overwhelming majority of respondents who do not have a water post in their yards take potable water from a water post in the neighborhood (91.7%), and 0.9 percent of respondents take water from the irrigation network. Figure 31 shows that men (77.9%) and teenagers (60.5%) are mainly busy with domestic water supply. They spend for water supply from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours every day.

Fig. 30

Fig. 31

Inhabitants, who do not have tap water in yards, use approximately the same option for water storing. Every day, water is filled and stored in big metal flasks or in other adequate tanks.

A very important aspect is sanitary conditions for water supply, and water quality and safety, which residents do not adequately realize. Water that they use and the way of its delivery to households are not always secure for their health. The places of water withdrawal are not always equipped with proper and safe facilities. Water is delivered using bicycles and specially equipped handcarts. With respect to water quality and its conformity with the sanitary norms, most residents consider that it is enough to boil water, and it will meet all water safety standards. Figure 32 shows that answering the question concerning observance of sanitary standards, 95.4 percent of respondents consider that water completely meets the sanitary standards, and there is not any risk to use this water. Ninety nine percent of respondents consider that the way of water delivery can cause a risk for their health.

Fig. 32

Land use

Because rural residents are land plots’ owners in a practical manner, they have quite certain ideas about priority rights regarding land ownership (Fig. 33).

Fig. 33

From 51 to 94.2 percent of respondents consider that only a man:

allocates land plots for vegetable gardens;
has access to agricultural machinery;
has access to a market;
has the priority in receiving credits;
posses land and water rights;
makes decisions in regard with a crop pattern in a farm; and
has real access to a ready sale

In respondents’ opinion, a small percentage of women (11.9 percent) may have access to the agricultural market. It seems they keep in mind the small-scale wholesaling of vegetables and fruits from their household plots. 7.3 percent of respondents consider that women may make decisions concerning a crop pattern both in their households and in co-operative farms.