OPS 34. A Study of Women’s Participation in NGOs in Kyrgyzstan

Some argue that the legacy of Communism in Kyrgyzstan has resulted in an emerging civil society that is fragmented and lacking cohesion. NGOs continue to operate with an inherited top-down management style, where decisions are made by a few, and leaders are characterised as being autocratic, dominant and undemocratic in leadership style that does little to assist co-operation.

At the core of women and development has been the concept of women’s empowerment, a transformatory concept based upon processes of conscientisation, democracy, solidarity and participation. This study has taken participation as a fundamental process towards empowerment. IT assesses present participatory processes and practices within six women’s NGOs in Kyrgyzstan as a means to understanding how the proliferation of women’s NGOs may be contributing to women’s empowerment. In support of this, the study has attempted a participatory process, both as a learning method and as an underlying methodological principle.