Trading and trade-offs: Women's livelihoods in Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan

This paper is based on a small study conducted in Gorno Badakhshan, Tajikistan to highlight the impact of recent socio-economic changes in the livelihoods and well-beings of women. Women are the majority of traders. Most men see trading as a 'demeaning' activity. For women trading is a survival strategy, not a choice of occupation. The paper looks at the trade-offs that women have faced as a result. The shift towards a market economy has increased socio-economic differences, increased gender differences, increased women's workload, insecure livelihoods, and declined social capital. Women's participation in the public and political arena has declined.