Abstract

This study focused on perceptions of women educators regarding the roles and responsibilities of women involved in agriculture in Uzbekistan. A qualitative study was conducted using interview data from fourteen women educators from the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers (TIIAME) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The interviewees held roles and responsibilities as teachers, advisors, and researchers. The interviewees defined agriculture in terms of production and revealed with some hesitation the viability and significance of women in agriculture. They cited male dominance of agricultural professions, domestic responsibilities, and a desire for the more “feminized” professions as reasons for women not pursuing professions in agriculture. Implications for agricultural and extension education are that training and information are needed to incorporate a gender perspective into curriculum, extension, and development programs to increase awareness of the importance of women in agriculture. Furthermore, a gender balance at the secondary and post-secondary level should be ensured so that women and their needs remain visible in the eyes of educators, administrators, and extension personnel.

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