A World Bank study on the impact of readily available childcare on female employment in Uzbekistan produced some surprising results.
An Uzbek government program to expand pre-school access for young children has had the desired effect of enabling more women to join the workforce. But survey found that economic factors, especially the rising costs of raising children, was the main motivation for women to go to work. The results suggest that many women are starting to work out of financial need, more than a desire to build a career.
The study, titled Working for Yourself or for Your Kids? Childcare Expansion Policy in Uzbekistan, showed that a significantly larger share of women has long had the ability to work than the actual share in the workforce. Roughly 75 percent of Uzbek households comprise extended families that include at least two working-age women, with in-laws and grandparents all living under the same roof. Even so, 70 percent of households had no women in the workforce, according to the study.
The government initiative to expand pre-school care launched in 2018 succeeded in boosting the percentage of children aged 3-7 in day-care programs from 25 percent at the outset of the expansion (one of the lowest rates in the world at the time) to 63 percent in 2022. The pre-school expansion program produced a 12 percent increase of female labor force participation, something the authors of the study described as “a striking result in a country where women have historically faced significant barriers to employment.”
The government policy isn’t benefitting only the mothers of young children, it’s liberating other women in the household. “By sharing the caregiving responsibilities more evenly, the policy has allowed families to reconsider who can pursue employment,” the authors state. “This shift isn’t just about mothers—it’s creating opportunities for all working-age women.” At the same time, given the tightness of the Uzbek labor market, many women seeking employment have trouble landing jobs, the report indicates.
The researchers came to an unexpected conclusion about the motivation for women entering the workforce.
“Many studies suggest that access to childcare enables women to enter the workforce simply by freeing up time. But Uzbekistan’s case tells a more nuanced story,” the authors reported. “The real game-changer is that families see preschool as an investment in their children’s future.”
Pre-school is more widely available, but many families must strain to afford the costs, the study found. Accordingly, many Uzbek women who start to work are plowing all or most of their earnings into day-care.
“The impact on women’s employment is strongest among families that place a high value on education. In other words, the decision to work is not just about reconciling duties of childcare with work—it’s about enabling the next generation to thrive,” the authors note.
