Women and Water Management in Central Asia: Exploring Participation and Regional Differences

Women across Central Asia play essential roles in agriculture, water management, and climate adaptation; however, gendered vulnerabilities and institutional constraints continue to shape unequal access to land, water, training, and decision-making processes. This study examines the role of women in water management across Central Asia, focusing on the intersection of gender inequality, water governance, and climate change. The study employs a systematic literature review, combined with thematic analysis of 20 peer-reviewed articles published between 2011 and 2025 in the Scopus database. The findings identify key recurring themes, including the feminization of agriculture, institutional barriers to women’s participation, and increased climate vulnerability in water-scarce regions such as the Aral Sea Basin. The analysis reveals that despite policy recognition of gender equality, structural constraints-such as limited access to resources, decision-making power, and institutional support-continue to hinder women’s effective participation in water governance. The study contributes by providing a structured synthesis of fragmented regional literature and highlighting context-specific challenges in Central Asia. However, the study is limited by the relatively small dataset and reliance on published literature, suggesting the need for further empirical research.

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