Regions and Countries

	Table of Contents
p. 4 of 20 BACK | NEXT I. Country Performance Assessment A. Economic Performance Assessment B. Poverty Assessment C. Assessment of Socio-Environmental Performance D. Governance E. Implementation Assessment II. Country Operational Strategy III. Sector Strategies IV. Regional Cooperation V. Donor Activities and Aid Coordination VI. Cofinancing and Catalyzing External Resources VII. ADB’s Operational Program VIII. Economic and Sector Work Program IX. Local Cost Financing

Country Assistance Plans - Kyrgyz Republic : I. Country Performance Assessment

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C. Assessment of Socio-Environmental Performance

1. Gender Issues

9. The Kyrgyz Republic formally provides protection against gender discrimination and the official status of women in the Kyrgyz society is relatively high. There is equal access to education and equality in the workplace. The Kyrgyz constitution guarantees equal rights to women and there are laws to uphold these rights. Education and employment levels remain high. Before independence, women had been actively involved in production and the social, cultural, and political fields. Women figured prominently in the workforce. However, a recent UNDP study¹ indicates that despite considerable efforts during Soviet times to raise the status of women in the Kyrgyz Republic, the major part of the employment of women in the national economy of that time appeared to be in low paid and non-prestigious spheres. Female employment was high in such areas as health and social services (82%), information-computing/secretarial services (80%), public catering (71%) and trade (69%). The study says that women in positions of responsibility were the exception rather than the rule. Nevertheless, prior to independence, substantial support for the social welfare of women through public assistance and social services was provided. However, with the breakdown of the social safety net and the erosion of social service provisions during transition, more families are dependent on the female’s traditional role of ensuring survival for the young and old in need.

10. Women are the first to face the consequences of the closure of kindergartens, child care centers, and rural schools; the lack of medicine for their children; the unsustainable pensions of their parents; and the termination of service facilities like laundries and canteens, thereby affecting women's access to formally paid employment. In addition to the personal degradation caused by unemployment, loss of income, and transfers, and the reduced access to social and public services, women are experiencing difficulties with increasing child mortality rates, rising divorce rates, alcoholism, and men’s migration. With the elimination of the quota system that prevailed under the former regime, there has been a sharp decline in women’s representation in elected bodies, at both national and local levels, in decision-making processes in public and private sectors, in judicial bodies, and in government jobs. In general, the negative impacts of transition in the Kyrgyz Republic reflect the economic difficulties prevailing in the country. Nevertheless, there are circumstances where the economic difficulties have a more severe impact on women than men, especially with regard to their children’s access to education and health, and in the labor market. On the other hand, transition has given women new opportunities especially in the bazaar, credit, and modern service economy. It is important to note that active support for women’s advancement and gender equality at the national level began in 1995 following the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing. The latter has been a powerful stimulus in creating a national mechanism to promote women’s advancement and gender equality.

2. Human Development

11. Comparatively high standards of human development were achieved before independence. The country’s life expectancy and literacy rates are still near the top of the range of countries with a similar per capita income, and age-specific mortality is low, while showing no major gender discrimination. However, the severe economic difficulties and the rapid deterioration of social services and the social safety net since 1991 has had direct implications on the social situation of the people of the Kyrgyz Republic. The 1993 UNDP Human Development Report gave the Kyrgyz Republic a human development index (HDI) of 0.689 for 1990, ranking 83 out of 173 countries. The HDI based on the 1999 UNDP Report was 0.702, which represents a ranking of 97 out of 174 countries. Given the continuing socioeconomic difficulties, deterioration in the human development index may be expected.

12. The Government ratified the International Convention on Children’s Rights in 1991, and the ILO Convention No.138 on the Minimum Age for Employment in 1992. Children under 14 years of age are prohibited by Kyrgyz law to work and 15-year-old children are only allowed to work minimum hours. Children between 16 to 18 years are allowed to work not more that 24 hours a week. However, the serious deterioration of living standards and mounting poverty since independence have had a severe impact on the vulnerable sections of society including on women and children. Unofficial estimates of homeless children living on the streets of the capital place the numbers at over 1,000. Although related statistics are not available there is anecdotal evidence that poverty can force families to use child labor in agriculture and other economic activities. The Kyrgyz Government is seriously concerned about such developments and has put the prevention of child labor high on its social agenda.

3. Environment

13. The Kyrgyz Republic is characterized by its harsh natural conditions and delicate ecosystems which require well-planned and protective management. The country has a highly varied topography with a rugged mountainous terrain; only 7 percent of its territory is cultivable. More than a third of the flow of water forming the Aral Sea basin comes from the Kyrgyz Republic. Major environmental problems in the country result from the salinization of land and the excessive use of toxic agrochemicals. Soil erosion caused by overgrazing, poor drainage management, forest overcutting, and lack of forest cover affect more than 50 percent of the country’s arable pastures. Other major concerns are industrial pollution from mines and metallurgical plants, including those plants that process or store radioactive and industrial wastes. To address ecological problems, more efforts need to be directed to the implementation of the 1995 National Environmental Action Plan. Many agencies are involved in environmental monitoring and management. The ability of all agencies to function effectively, however, is limited owing to reduced budgets, outdated equipment, and scarce supplies. Strengthening environmental monitoring and management capacity is one of the most important development requirements of today.

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