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Uzbekistan Leads Central Asia in World Happiness Report

The World Population Review has announced this year's list of the happiest countries in the world. Since 2002 the World Happiness Report has used statistical analysis to determine the probable wellbeing of countries. To determine the happiest country in the world, researchers analyzed Gallup poll data collected from 143 countries over the past three years. The index looks at six categories: gross domestic product per capita, social support, life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels. The seven happiest countries in the world for 2024 are all in Europe, with six of them being in Northern Europe. Finland is in first place, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, the Netherlands, and Norway. Afghanistan ranked as the least happy country in 2024, placing 143rd. This is due to factors like low life expectancy, low GDP per capita, and the impact of the Taliban takeover. Uzbekistan takes 47th place in the ranking and is the happiest country in Central Asia. Kazakhstan is next, in 49th place overall, falling from 44th last year. Kazakhstan’s relatively slow population growth will allow the country to continue makihttps://timesca.com/uzbekistan-leads-central-asia-in-world-happiness-report/ng economic progress and reduce poverty in the coming decades. Tajikistan ranks 88th on the list. The World Happiness Report says: “Tajikistan’s population boom threatens its economy and resources. The government has implemented laws in the past to encourage contraception, and while this has helped bring down the birth rate, the country still has a long way to go.” The report doesn’t provide information about Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan this year. According to the most recent data for them, Turkmenistan was 78th in 2022, and Kyrgyzstan was 62nd in 2023.

Legislation Women's rights Gender Equality Women entrepreneurs life and culture

Social Researcher: Serious Effort Required for Women’s Representation in Kazakh Politics

According to Gulmira Ileuova, a sociologist and the head of the Strategy Centre for Social and Political Research, gender equality in Kazakhstan has severely deteriorated. In an interview with TCA, she explains how social regression and a depletion of human resources are making it difficult for women to participate in political parties, social movements, and public services. TCA: Sources illustrate that after the 2023 parliamentary elections, the representation of women deputies in the Mazhilis fell from 27% to 18%. In addition, Kazakhstan's performance in the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) has deteriorated. This year, the country fell from 62nd to 76th place. This index, which can be used to judge the economy's stability and legal security, has a serious impact on investors. What, in your opinion, is the reason for this deterioration? First of all, I would like to point out that until 2021, the Labor Code had restrictions on where women could work based on concerns about their health. Now that the restrictions have been lifted, progress is steadily being made in involving women in areas previously inaccessible to them. Some companies have already published data that women have begun operating heavy machinery, such as big trucks, which was not the case before. As for politics and the civil service, it appears that under the spread of influence from the south, the country is reinstating traditional social relations. Independent Kazakhstan has entered a new period where traditional and non-traditional forms of Islam thrive, and hyper-masculine and patriarchal attitudes are on the rise. I emphasize the patriarchal division of life through reinforced gender roles because it is gaining strength and spreading across all regions of the country. Furthermore, this trend is moving into the sphere of politics and civil services. Let's take a look at what preceded these trends. In many regions, primarily in the south, there is a huge number of women who wishing to undertake the important work of reproduction, were receiving TSA (targeted social assistance). According to statistics in 2019, there were 2 million and 221 thousand recipients of TSA (about 12% of the population). Today, their number has decreased six fold to about 350 thousand. These numbers include women who thought they would bypass employment through state support systems. And now these women are in trouble. The state is revising its social policy, but the paternalistic trend has long been developing and a large number of people have abused it. TCA: Are you saying that women, in receipt of child allowances, prefer to stay at home as opposed to actively entering economic relations or aspiring to participate in civil services or politics? Yes, and I am afraid that this trend cannot be overcome by quick measures or be alleviated by even quotas for women. In a 'strategy' study conducted by the Center for Social and Political Research in the Turkestan region, an official working in gender policy said that at some point, the political representation of women fell to 5%. There were actually no women in senior...

Jizzakh life and culture

The Steppe Blooms in the Hands of a Woman – British Publisher Focuses on Jizzakh

Jizzakh, a region which is historically significant yet little known outside the borders of Uzbekistan, is now stepping into the international spotlight with a special issue of OCA Magazine launched in London. This edition, OCA Magazine: Jizzakh, weaves together a tapestry of narratives from writers spanning continents from Uzbekistan and the United Kingdom and the United States, France, India, Bulgaria, and Finland. These contributors dive deep into the heritage, history, economics, culture, and cuisine of Jizzakh, painting a vibrant picture of a region with a rich strategic importance and cultural legacy. Renowned as the birthplace of Uzbekistan's leaders Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Sharaf Rashidov, Jizzakh holds a special place in the nation’s heart. It is also home to an array of notable figures who have made substantial contributions to regional and national development, ranging from the founders of dynasties to contemporary athletes and scientists. This special issue seeks to illuminate these stories, with feature articles such as one on Maria Shevel (Akhmedjanova), a winner of the Heroine of Labor award whose architectural influence has shaped the visage of Jizzakh, and the iconic sanatorium in the Zaamin National Reserve. As Uzbekistan continues its rapid development under President Mirziyoyev, global curiosity about this vibrant country continues to grow. The magazine not only looks into the region’s history, but looks ahead, exploring Jizzakh's potential as an economic powerhouse. Articles discuss such projects as nuclear energy development and advancements in education, showcasing Jizzakh as a region poised for growth.

Cultural Heritage History life and culture Art and Culture Kazakh Art Tales Myths

Gods and Demons of Central Asia

In today's dynamic world, Central Asia is emerging as a trendsetter in fashion, culture, lifestyle, and worldview. The ancient Tengrian faith, deeply rooted in Central Asian mythology and superstitions, may soon resurface creatively among the region's people, though it is unlikely to be reinstated as an official religion. While some in Kazakhstan attempt to distance themselves from Abrahamic religions, Tengrism remains a vital part of the cultural heritage, featuring gods, demigods, and dark entities that shaped the beliefs of our ancestors during the pre-Islamic era. [caption id="attachment_22010" align="aligncenter" width="167"] photo: pininterest: Tengri's domain[/caption] Divine entities According to Tatar scientist and writer Gali Rahim, shamanism attributes significant roles to various spirits and deities. Among the Turkic peoples, the supreme deity is Tengri, the eternal blue sky. Rahim's lectures on “The Folklore of the Kazan Tatars,” presented at the East Pedagogical Institute in the 1920s, describe Tengri as the primary god in Turkic cosmology, with the earth and humanity emerging from the union of the sky and the earth. Umai, the goddess associated with motherhood and children, stands next in importance. Ancient Turkic inscriptions and symbolic artifacts, such as the stone carving discovered in 2012 in the Zhambyl district of Almaty, Kazakhstan, depict her as a protective figure for children. Teleut pagans represented her as a silver-haired, young woman who descended from heaven on a rainbow to guard children with a golden bow, and the Kyrgyz appealed for her help during childbirth and when children fell ill. Motifs dedicated to Umai by Shorian shamans, were positioned around cradles. Boys' cradles were pierced with an arrow, girls' with a spindle, and wooden arrows were placed within the those of both. Another prominent character common to Turkic, Mongolian, and Altaic mythology is Erlik or Yerlik Khan. Ruler of the underworld, the horned deity presides over the realm of the dead from a palace of black mud or blue-black iron on the bank of the Toibodym, a river of human tears. A single horsehair bridge is guarded by monsters known as dyutpa whilst the palace is protected by Erlik’s sentries or elchi, brandishing pike poles known as karmak. His breath, carried by a tan, a light warm breeze, was believed to paralyze anyone who inhaled it, which is why the Khakas term for paralysis, tan sapkhany, literally means “wind blow.” Kudai (Khudai), also known as Ulgen, is another central deity who, alongside his brother Erlik, created the land, its vegetation, mountains, and seas. Kudai created man from clay, and Erlik gave him his soul. Kudai created a dog but it was Erlik who clothed it in hair. Whilst Kudai created the first animals, the horse, the sheep, and the cow, Erlik created the camel, the bear, the badger, and the mole. Kudai brought down lightning from the sky and commanded thunder. In a dispute over who was the mightiest creator, Kudai won. The brothers parted ways, and after producing nine sons, from whom the tribes of Kpchak, Mayman, Todosh, Tonjaan, Komdosh, Tyus, Togus,...

People with disabilities public transport life and culture Invacarriages Trains

More Invacarriages Added to Kazakhstan’s Trains

As part of a scheme to update its fleet of passenger railway carriages, Kazakhstan is set to increase its volume of ‘Invacarriages’, specially adapted to cater for travellers with special physical needs and impaired mobility. The Kazakh Ministry of Transport has announced that 14 carriages designed for the comfort of passengers in the sector, will be purchased this year, adding to the seven already operating on the Kyzylorda – Semey, Pavlodar – Turkestan, and Aktau – Aktobe routes. In 2023, 11 Invacarriages were commissioned and today, Kazakhstan boasts 110 trains with specialized carriages for passengers with impaired mobility. Manufactured to safety standards in Kazakhstan, the Invacarriages offer more space for the free movement of wheelchairs, lifts, and alarm buttons. In addition to the train carriages, Kazakhstan is also expanding its fleet of Invataxis; specially adapted minivans equipped with wheelchair-friendly hydraulic lifts. This year alone, the number of Invataxis operating in the capital, Astana, has risen by 26 to 145, and a total of 119 Invataxi services with the combined fleet of 760 vehicles, currently operate in the country’s regions.

life and culture Cultural Heritage

A Permanent Piece of ‘Home’: The Trend for Kyrgyz Ornament Tattoos

An interview with Master Tattoo Artist, Zarema Kubanychbekova In recent years, there has been a growing interest in representing traditional, national ornament in the art of tattooing in Kyrgyzstan. TCA met Zarema Kubanychbekova, a talented tattoo artist with nine years' experience, to discuss this trend and its peculiarities. TCA: How did you become involved in the tattoo industry? I first picked up a tattooing machine on October 17, 2015, almost 9 years ago. It was challenging but exciting. I have been drawing since early childhood, literally from kindergarten, and subsequently all my activities were somehow connected with creativity, but I never imagined that my life would be connected with tattooing. The decision to embark on this path was absolutely spontaneous, but after completing my first piece, I was in no doubt that it was exactly what I wanted to do. [caption id="attachment_19780" align="aligncenter" width="431"] Zarema[/caption] TCA: What can you say about the popularity of tattoos incorporating traditional Kyrgyz motifs? There is definitely a trend, and it is good to see. I believe that it is mostly because people have begun to value their roots and culture. A lot of tattoos are made for people who travelling abroad, want something to remind them of home. Tourists regard them as souvenirs of their time spent in Kyrgyzstan whilst locals want something to remind them of their origins. TCA: What features of Kyrgyz ornament do you use most frequently in your work and what do they symbolise? Some time ago, we collaborated with a client on the idea to ‘embroider’ the ornament on the skin. In other words, to replicate the texture of threads to make it resemble a ‘tush-kiyiz’ or traditional wall-hanging. It came together somehow by itself, although the initial request was for a simple contour work, and the result was both highly unusual and beautiful. I often create patterns inspired by petroglyphs using point by point (dot work), which is interesting, because motifs were originally applied to these ancient stones by almost the same method. Each ornament has its own unique meaning, and people generally choose those which best resonate with them. [caption id="attachment_19779" align="aligncenter" width="476"] artist's own tattoo[/caption] TCA: Do you consider such tattoos a form of self-expression? Yes; in recent years I have noticed more and more, people's desire to express themselves through their ethnicity and love for their land. It's great! TCA: What are the difficulties or peculiarities of creating tattoos from traditional motifs compared to other styles? There are no particular difficulties as such. There was however, a case whereby my client and I consulted with a woman specialist in runes/ornaments to clarify how best to marry two symbols so that when combined, they would not lose their meaning. [caption id="attachment_19781" align="aligncenter" width="494"] Zarema[/caption] TCA: How do you view the future of this current trend in Kyrgyzstan? I think the theme of Kyrgyz ornamental tattoos will always be relevant. Time passes, the world changes, but our roots remain solid.