EDUCATING ONE HALF OF THE NATION
THE ECONOMIC CASE FOR WOMEN’S ACCESS TO UNIVERSITIES

In the classical culture of the East, the image of an educated woman has always been held in high esteem. She could write poetry, engage in philosophical discussions, teach or heal – and be a true cornerstone for her family and society. Yet in recent years, certain countries in Central Asia have seen a worrying turn: under the growing influence of Islamisation, women’s education is increasingly viewed not as a necessity, but as a luxury.
It is precisely now that we must take the time to analyse how the rise of religious conservatism in Central Asia is affecting women’s access to education and the future of entire generations. This is not a critique of religion. On the contrary, in Islam the pursuit of knowledge is one of its fundamental values. However, interpretations that have become popular in conservative circles are increasingly distancing young women from university classrooms – and, along with that, from equal opportunities for the future.

The university is closed? Then the road to progress is closed for the entire country

“You’ll be staying at home anyway – why would you need a diploma?” – such phrases are increasingly heard in villages and small towns across the region. According to the World Bank (2022), the proportion of women among university students has been declining in several Central Asian countries in recent years. This trend is particularly noticeable in rural areas where conservative norms are strengthening. Girls are more often steered towards early marriage and domestic responsibilities, under the guise of restoring a patriarchal family model seen as essential to strengthening the state. Global statistics, however, tell a different story: when the share of women with higher education declines, it affects the entire economy, as the lack of qualified personnel – especially in medicine, education, science and entrepreneurship – slows down the development of entire sectors.

Women are not only part of the labour force, but also a source of innovation, academic thought, and nuanced understanding of social dynamics. And when a girl does not make it to university, the country loses not just a future specialist, but also the potential transformations her work could bring.

During the Soviet period, women in Central Asia had equal access to professions, studied at technical universities and often held leadership positions. Today, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the situation has changed: women are more frequently employed in low-paid and informal sectors, face restrictions in career choices, and earn less than men with equal qualifications. In countries where social conservatism is gaining ground, these disparities are becoming the norm, while state policy often fails to keep up with new challenges. And not only because of the absence of women themselves, but also because of the effects of raising boys in such environments.

Mother, book and future

But the consequences are not always immediately visible. They unfold over decades – across generations. UNICEF research shows that up to 90% of a child’s neural connections are formed in the first six years of life. And the main facilitator of this process is the mother.

If a woman is denied proper education, if her horizons remain narrow, if she does not engage in meaningful conversations with her child, the child grows up in an environment where knowledge is replaced by routine and emotional intelligence remains underdeveloped. The child learns to repeat, but not to ask questions. To obey, but not to dream. And this is no longer the problem of a single family – it is the problem of an entire nation’s future. Often, replacing a child’s cognitive development with a focus only on physical care (being fed, clothed and healthy) leads not only to a decline in intellectual abilities, but to a tendency to resolve conflict through force, simply because alternative intellectual resources are lacking. In other words, this results in increased levels of domestic violence and criminality.

Jobs exist – but wages do not

Limited access to education is only the first rung of the social ladder. The next is the labour market. Here too, women face barriers: a limited range of professions permitted by religion, low pay, and restricted opportunities for career advancement. Even with equal qualifications, as the ILO report shows, women in the region earn 25–30% less than men. The issue lies not in ability, but in the system.

While during the Soviet period women could be engineers, doctors, pilots and professors, today many receive social or familial prohibitions on working in roles that involve interacting with unfamiliar people, especially men, or face social condemnation if circumstances compel them to do so. At the same time, they often lack both the qualifications and the time for remote work, due to domestic responsibilities.
Religion is not the enemy. Ignorance is

Talking about Islamisation must be done with care. The issue is not faith itself – Islam, from its earliest days, has championed the pursuit of knowledge. Great women of the Islamic world – Aisha, Rabia al-Basri, Fatima al-Fihri, and during the Soviet period, Tursunoy Akhunova, Safo Umarova, Zulfiya and many others – left behind formidable legacies.

The problem arises when faith becomes a tool of suppression. When books, conversations and freedom of choice are banned in the name of “tradition.” When a woman is denied a voice simply because she might say something “unnecessary.”

But in those same Central Asian countries, other examples are emerging – religious leaders opening schools for girls, educators combining Islamic values with modern teaching methods, families who encourage their daughters to pursue higher education not despite their traditions, but because of them.

What can be done?

There are many possible solutions – and they do not require revolutions. We need support programmes – scholarships and women’s universities, mentorship projects, dialogue with parents. We need teaching staff willing to work in rural areas. We need public campaigns that show how women, while maintaining their identity, can achieve professional success.

It is essential that traditions are not set in opposition to modernity, but rather complement it. That a girl in a headscarf can hold a book just as confidently – or a microphone at a conference. That the question “Why do you want to study?” turns into “What do you want to learn?”

It is impossible to build a prosperous society while denying half its citizens the right to develop. Women’s education is not a threat to culture. It is its continuation, its renewal, and its future. The greatness of a nation begins not with wealth, but with the breadth of thought. And breadth comes only through learning, dialogue and freedom of choice.

by Taina Kaunis