Nearly half of Uzbekistan’s 37 million population resides in rural areas—in communities that are less likely to have access to clean drinking water, farther from quality healthcare services, and with poorer education outcomes. Such disparities threaten the well-being of millions across the country, especially women and children.
For example, in Uzbekistan, women's labor force participation was over 30% lower than men's in 2023. Lack of services like water, electricity, and preschool increases the time burden on women, especially those in remote and rural areas, limiting their economic participation. In 2022, 75% of unemployed working-age women cited homemaking and care responsibilities as their reason for not working.
Additionally, despite major progress in expanding access to early childhood care and education services since 2017, in 2022, 42% of children in Uzbekistan’s rural areas had access to preschool education compared to 51% of children in urban areas, with significant differences in enrolment across regions.
This urban-rural divide perpetuates inequality and hampers Uzbekistan’s economic potential. But change is afoot, with the country having introduced a more responsive, participatory model for rural development that can promote a more inclusive, resilient future for all.
Empowering Neighborhoods for Change
In 306 remote villages across the mountainous regions of Andijan, Ferghana, Namangan, Jizzakh, and Syrdarya, residents are actively involved in a development program unique to Uzbekistan. Empowered by the Rural Infrastructure Development Project (RIDP) funded by the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), communities are collectively deciding which basic infrastructure facilities—like schools, health facilities, power and water supply systems, bridges and local roads—should be renovated or constructed.
This decision-making process is driven by Mahalla (Neighborhood) Development Units (MDUs), which represent communities in all villages covered by RIDP. Mandated to consist of at least 50% women, the MDUs are responsible for listening to their villagers’ concerns and preferences, voting on which sub-project to undertake through RIDP, and planning, supervising, and implementing the chosen infrastructure facilities.
This leads to better project results by directing scare public resources to filling infrastructure gaps in areas most desired and needed by communities, including those demanded by groups traditionally underserved or disadvantaged like women and children. Villagers are empowered, buy into the process and develop a stronger sense of ownership over the infrastructure, which has shown globally to lead to better use and maintenance.
And communities feel that they are being heard and served by their MDUs. Social audits, conducted every six months in in the villages covered by RIDP, involved over 32,000 women (47% of all audit participants) from 185 communities, who almost unanimously (99%) indicated that MDU-selected sub-projects reflected their priority needs.
Investing in Education for 650 Schoolchildren in Tinchlik Village
Community-driven infrastructure investments are creating tangible impact in areas like learning. Under RIDP, villages have chosen to invest in 79 rural school and preschool facilities, expanding access to education, particularly for girls. For example, the roughly 560 households of Tinchlik village in the Chust district of the Namangan region voted to refurbish Public School #12, which last underwent capital improvements in 1967.
Zarina, a tenth grader, recalls this school’s prior poor conditions: “Before the renovations, my classmates and teachers suffered in autumn and winter, when we had lessons in cold and damp classrooms, having to wear warm clothes. Unreliable electricity supply also posed challenges. This all negatively impacted our health and willingness to attend school.”
Since August 2023, new heating, electrical, and ventilation systems have been installed across the school, creating a safer, more comfortable facility, one more conducive to learning. Solar panels now ensure a stable year-round power supply for 22 classrooms, while a new boiler has eliminated coal smoke that once polluted the air inside and outside the school.
“Drainage systems installed near the school helped alleviate dampness, which previously caused health issues among students. Access to hot and cold water, sanitary facilities, and a canteen now meet hygienic standards. Our children also walk every day on a new paved road to the school,” emphasizes Gulchekhra Nurmatova, a female activist of the local MDU. “All these changes prove that our community’s decision to invest in the school reconstruction was the right one.”
With these modernized facilities, enrollment at Public School #12 has grown from 519 to 650 students. Parents who previously considered sending their children to study in cities are now more confident in the local school’s ability to provide quality education.
Hundreds of Thousands of Lives Improved in the Rural Areas
The renovated school in Tinchlik village is just one of hundreds of examples of how RIDP is reshaping lives across Uzbekistan’s rural areas.
To date, villages participating in RIDP have chosen to invest in 430 public works including five healthcare facilities, seven bridges, 25 preschools, 54 primary or secondary schools, 75 electric power supply systems, 127 water supply systems, and 136 internal roads. These improvements have enhanced villagers’ access to essential public services, better connected communities to opportunity, and raised local living standards.
Over 426,000 villagers, more than half of whom are women, have benefited from these investments. And the number of project beneficiaries is expected to double by 2025, when RIDP is completed.
Together, the Government of Uzbekistan, the World Bank, and AIIB are empowering rural communities to meet their needs, reducing regional disparities, and forging a more equal future for all.
