Representatives of government institutions, civil society organizations, academia, the media, and international partners gathered in Tashkent on May 25 for a roundtable to discuss the research study “Gender and Corruption in Uzbekistan: Towards Transformational Change.” The research was completed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Anti-Corruption Agency, with the financial support of the European Union, UNDP Uzbekistan reported.
The research was conducted to better understand how the population views and experiences corruption in Uzbekistan and to explore how gender-sensitive approaches can be integrated into anti-corruption reforms and policies. The study was based on both qualitative and quantitative methods, including analysis of international policy documents and Uzbekistan’s legal framework, a sociological survey involving 539 respondents (268 women and 271 men), and 10 focus group discussions conducted across several regions of the country.
One of the key findings of the study was the strong influence of informal social practices and traditional norms on public perceptions of corruption. Nearly 70% of respondents stated that practices such as ‘suyunchi’, ‘tanish-bilish’, and expectations around expensive social ceremonies contribute to the spread of corruption in society. The findings suggest that corruption is often rooted not only in institutional weaknesses, but also in deeply embedded social behaviors and attitudes.
Another important area examined by the research was sector-specific vulnerability to corruption. More than half of respondents (54.4%) identified healthcare as the sector where women are most vulnerable to corruption, followed by education at 28.4%. Participants noted that women are more exposed to corruption risks in areas connected to caregiving responsibilities, access to healthcare, and family welfare.
The findings also showed that many respondents perceive women in Uzbekistan as vulnerable to sexual extortion, or sextortion, recognized internationally as a gender-related form of corruption. Meanwhile, shame, fear of social stigma, and limited legal awareness remain major barriers preventing victims from reporting such cases. This underscores the need for safer, more accessible, and gender-sensitive reporting and protection mechanisms.
