Supporting Women’s Rights through Mutual Aid Groups in Tajikistan

Women in Tajikistan married to migrant workers take on more household responsibilities on average than their husbands, who may spend long stretches working away from home. With the additional stress of managing family finances, housekeeping, and agricultural work, women in these circumstances are particularly vulnerable to violence and discrimination. However, they often hesitate or do not know how to seek help.

Fidokor, a Dushanbe-based NGO, is addressing this issue by forming women’s mutual aid groups to collectively address and prevent violence, stigma, and discrimination. With support from Eurasia Foundation’s Social Innovation in Central Asia (SICA) program, Fikodor launched the groups in Tajikistan’s Levakanda, Vakhsh, Jami, and Kushanian districts.

Rustam Bakhriddinov, Fidokor’s project coordinator, took up this mission after first noticing how abuse and injustice against women impact their children’s learning in the classroom: “I was a literature and foreign language teacher and witnessed how children and wives of migrants faced discrimination and violence. Women had to assume the roles of a mother and a father, raise children, take care of the husband’s parents, manage the household, and work. This had a negative impact on children’s learning, self-esteem, and integration into society. It destroyed family prosperity.”

Fidokor believes in and works to increase women’s agency. “Creating women’s groups is a long-standing dream [for us],” shares Rustam.

Within Fidokor-supported mutual aid groups, women, men, religious leaders, and others listen to and uplift women’s voices. Group members work reciprocally, supporting one another to better support women by providing shelter, peer counseling, and community advocacy.

Currently, the project facilitates four groups in Levakanda, Vakhsh, Jami, and Kushanian districts. In partnership with local mahalla (neighborhood) committees and the Public Councils for Public Order under the Department of Internal Affairs, 47 women have received legal, social, and economic aid.

“All four groups have successfully signed memorandums of understanding with district community councils, ensuring that the work of women’s groups is sustainable in the long term,” says Rustam. “As part of the project, women received free consultations from a lawyer, guidance on canceling their husbands’ loan burdens, and professional advancement courses.”

The life-changing impact of these groups is evident in 46-year-old Omina’s (name changed) case. Omina’s husband moved abroad and remarried, neglecting his wife and six children back home. Meanwhile, his relatives laid claim to Omina’s house, and his mother gave birth to a child with disabilities. Omina suddenly found herself the sole breadwinner for both her family and her husband’s family.

A Fidokor mutual aid group supported Omina during this time of crisis. Thanks to established cooperation with local officials, a police officer intervened to curtail any attempts by the husband’s relatives to seize the house. A local farmer also allocated a greenhouse to Omina and helped with seeding material and fertilizers. Omina was then able to grow crops and sell the surplus for profit, supplementing the family income.

With the first profit from these crop sales, Omina purchased educational supplies for three of her children in a few months. The group also helped connect Omina’s mother-in-law’s child with a group that assists children with disabilities.

Looking toward the future, Fidokor plans to strengthen the women’s mutual aid groups through skill-building courses about project design and implementation, mentorship, and methodological support. All four groups are already applying for independent funding to ensure their financial sustainability. “I strive to ensure the sustainability of the organization so that our activities continue,” says Rustam. “Self-unification of women to protect rights and improve life is crucial.”