HARMONIZATION OF GENDER RELATIONS

SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 26 HARMONIZATION OF GENDER RELATIONS M.K. Хashimova Рrofessor of the Department of Pedagogy, Tashkent University of Applied Sciences https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17980075 Abstract. The article discusses the issues of gender relations, the improvement of women's status, and social progress. It analyzes the gender division of labor, the gender gap, and the differences between women and men. The article also examines the current situation of women in the family and society, as well as the problems of rational organization and utilization of women's labor, taking into account its morph physiological and psychological characteristics. The article also addresses the issues of creating optimal conditions for women to harmoniously combine their professional and family responsibilities, as well as the relationship and impact of professional employment and women's social status. Keywords: gender, gender policy, gender disparities, global gender gap index, gender equality index, and women's emancipation. Introduction There has never been a society in which all its members were equal. A society without stratification, with real equality among its members, is a myth that has never become a reality throughout human history. What are the forms of social stratification? Take, for example, a primitive society. Inequality in this society was expressed in the division into groups by sex and age, with different privileges and responsibilities for each group, in the existence of a privileged and influential group of tribal leaders, in the presence of the most influential and respected leader, in the existence of outcasts who lived "outside the law," in the division of labor both within and between tribes, and in the different levels of life. If we cannot find a society without stratification in ancient times, then it is even more futile to try to find it in later periods of developed and complex civilizations. Although almost all the constitutions of modern democratic states state that "all people are equal," only a completely naive person would believe that this is actually the case. As soon as people come together to perform any activity, from working together, to having fun, to creating a state, the organization and differentiation of a social group occurs. Gradations, hierarchies, leaders, and social aspirations emerge spontaneously. A family, a church, a sect, a political party, a business organization, a band of robbers, a trade union, a scientific society, in short, any organized social group stratifies due to its consistency and organization. Thus, every society is stratified and differs from one another based on the type of stratification. Differences can even exist within the same society at the same time. But there is a universal model of stratification that is common to every society. This is the division of people into genders, i.e. men and women. Just like clan and class, gender creates a significant difference between people and always in favor of men. Can you imagine any society where women would be at the top of the social stratification? Regardless of the system that society may use to divide people into different classes, gender is an essential element of these differences within each class [6]. Social relations between the sexes are not solely determined by their biological characteristics. At different stages of historical development and in SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 27 various social contexts, the roles of men and women have been defined in such a unique way that it has been impossible to attribute them solely to physiological differences. In other words, the range of social roles is significantly broader than the physiological differences. The concept of "gender" emphasizes that male and female roles in society are socially constructed and defined. Therefore, changing these roles towards a more equitable distribution of resources and income, rights and responsibilities, etc., does not undermine the foundations of human society, as some traditionalists would have us believe, but rather serves as a means of achieving genuine harmony and ensuring human rights. Over the past century, and particularly over the past few decades, there has been tremendous progress towards achieving gender equality. Women have been at the forefront of this struggle. Women have overcome numerous barriers, transforming their lives and contributing to the expansion of social and political change. While these movements may have varied in content, pace, and scale across different countries, they all shared a common goal of improving the status of women and advancing societal progress. At the first stage, the main goal of the women's movement was to gain legal rights, such as citizenship, the right to vote, and access to social services like education and healthcare. As a result, women gained the right to vote and be elected to legislative bodies, the right to own property, the right to inherit property and children in the event of divorce, and the opportunity to engage in scientific, social, governmental, and political activities. However, gaining the same legal rights as men did not automatically eliminate all forms of discrimination against women. Women's movements in various countries have advocated for equal access to economic opportunities. Access to assets and services, including land, raw materials, credit, and financial and technical services, has been recognized as critical. As women's participation in economic activities expanded, there was a need to address barriers to women's advancement in economic decisionmaking and employment. However, it is important to note that the issue of women's employment remains relevant. Research materials Gender division of labor varies significantly across countries. The percentage of women engaged in activities other than household chores varies depending on the society. This is due to differences in core cultural values and beliefs (Alesia & Giuliano, 2010). They are usually passed down from parents to children and remain stable over time. Therefore, gender issues and gender indicators have their own specific characteristics. Uzbekistan's gender growth rate ranges from 0.692 (2005) to 0.708 (2009), where a score of 1 represents absolute equality[9]. The latest GGR score places Uzbekistan at 99th place out of the 155 countries evaluated in 2009. Similarly, according to the Gender Gap Index developed by the World Economic Forum, Uzbekistan has made little progress in reducing this gap, with a score of 0.691 between 2006 and 2009 (with a score of 1 representing absolute equality). The Gender Gap Index measures the disparities between women and men in access to resources and opportunities, regardless of a country's level of development, and considers four main categories: -economic participation and opportunities; - level of education; - health and life expectancy; - expansion of political rights and opportunities. In 2012, Uzbekistan was ranked 56th out of 86 non-OECD countries, with a total score of 0.304.9 In this case, a score of 0 represents equality, while a score of 1 indicates discrimination against women. In Uzbekistan, gender disparities are evident in the sub-indices Both the Global SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 28 Gender Gap Index and the Gender Equality Index (GEI), a methodology developed by Social Watch, indicate almost complete gender equality in education (enrollment, education levels, and literacy) and healthcare (sex ratio at birth and healthy life expectancy). Uzbekistan has developed several policy documents related to women's rights at the national level. The Government has enacted two national action plans to implement the recommendations of the CEDAW Committee, with the first plan coming into force in 2006 (in response to the review of Uzbekistan's second and third periodic reports) and the second plan coming into force in 2010 (to implement the CEDAW Committee's findings from the fourth periodic review). The National Action Plan of 2010 (Annex 1 to the Minutes of the Cabinet of Ministers Meeting No. 10-7) was approved by the Prime Minister and is a high-level international commitment. The National Action Plan for Implementing the Recommendations of the CEDAW Committee (2010) The National Action Plan includes 68 measures that should be implemented by various ministries, The National Action Plan was developed by the Women's Committee of Uzbekistan, local authorities, news agencies, and non-governmental organizations. The plan addresses important issues such as gender stereotypes, violence against women, human trafficking, and the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions. Time use studies show that women spend three times as much time on unpaid work as men. Women spend almost 63% of this time on household chores such as cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, and mending clothes. In contrast, men spend only 11.5% of their time on these activities. In three regions (Bukhara, Jizzakh, and Samarkand), focus group discussions were held as part of an ADB-funded study, which provides additional insights into the amount of time women typically spend on unpaid household work. According to the women who participated in the focus groups, they typically spend around 14 hours on various household tasks, including: • Cooking - 3 hours per day • Washing clothes (by hand) - 3 hours per day • Housekeeping - 2 hours per day • Sending children to school and bringing them back - ½ hour per day • Shopping for food and household supplies - 2-3 hours per day Animal care and milking cows - indefinite time. Both women and men indicated that they spend 1 to 2 hours a day helping their children with household chores or teaching them crafts. Despite the fact that traditional stereotypical views of men and women continue to exist in Uzbekistan, this situation does not imply that these cultural norms are immutable. The Women's Committee, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Education and civil society organizations, has organized a series of events to "enhance the role of fathers in child-rearing practices." For example, "Fathers' Meetings" are being promoted among men as a way of communicating with their children's teachers to discuss aspects of child-rearing and their roles and responsibilities. As part of a reproductive health project that included aspects of developing schools for young families, local groups have initiated "Fathers' Schools." The multiple roles of women are presented in a contradictory way, as maternal employment is positioned as normative and inevitable, but is also sometimes portrayed as a choice that women make. This aligns with how global social policies position working mothers; that is, not only as having a duty and right to engage in paid work, but also as primary caregivers who have a personal responsibility to ensure that children are adequately cared for while they are working (Sims-Schouten et al., 2007A similar study was also conducted in Australia (Losoncz & Bortolotto, 2009). In this study, six groups of women from different professions, income levels, and social status were interviewed. The study SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 29 showed that the majority of working mothers successfully managed the balance between work and household responsibilities. In addition, women's desire to become a working mother was not always related to how well they cope with child care and household chores. Along with this, worklife conflict was associated with long working hours, overwork, and lack of support from other family members, particularly husbands and relatives. Just under 30% of mothers experienced high levels of work-life conflict, and there was a strong association between work-life balance and poor physical and mental health and low job and family life satisfaction (Coltrane, 2000). The problems of rational organization and use of women's labor, taking into account its morphophysiological and psychological characteristics, the creation of optimal conditions for women to harmoniously combine their professional and family functions, and the issues of the relationship and mutual influence of professional employment and women's social status are thoroughly covered in the works of Bestuzhev-Lada I.V., Gruzdev E., Chernova, Zh. V., V.A., Baskakova M.E., Bondarenko L.Yu., Mashkov D., and Morozova Z.S, Polenina C.B., Voronina, O. A., Andreeva, N. I. [2,8,14,4,3,11, 10,13,5,1]. Speaking about the social role of a modern woman, the American sociologist E. Boulding notes that this role is more related to the "backside" of society than to its "front side." There is still discrimination against women in a latent form, which results in persistent beliefs about what is "appropriate" for women in society. These beliefs act as barriers in people's minds and behavior, leading to inequality in the social positions of men and women. Today, a woman is an employee, a businesswoman, and she has a conscientious attitude towards her work and a sense of responsibility. She achieves significant success in various fields and holds leadership positions. Working women not only feel a sense of accomplishment for being in demand as professionals, but they also have a secure future based on their financial independence and personal growth. This process is often referred to as emancipation by scholars. The category "Emancipation" has acquired synonyms and definitions. It is freedom, spontaneity, courage, and confidence. An emancipated woman is a strong-willed, determined, and vibrant individual who lives in step with the times. She builds her own life, is capable of being happy, and brings joy to others. The emancipation of women brings numerous benefits and opportunities for growth in various fields, as well as a significant contribution to the development of society. However, the gifts of the women's movement do not end there. Additional responsibilities came, but no one took off the management of the household and the upbringing of children from women. As a result, the weaker sex has acquired additional troubles. Because in the traditional sense, a woman is the keeper of the family hearth. She runs the house, brings up the children, and her husband takes care of the family's financial well-being. A woman is a mother and a wife who creates comfort in the family, maintains order and cleanliness in the house, a kind atmosphere and warmth of human relations, and also brings up, loves and protects her child, does everything to make him happy. It should be noted that in today's society, these responsibilities remain on a woman's fragile shoulders[15]. It is very difficult to cope with professional duties and household tasks on your own. If there is no assistance from a nanny, housekeeper, or grandmother, as well as from the government, a woman finds herself in a dead-end situation. The standard outcome of this situation is early aging due to constant stress, exhaustion, or the breakdown of marriages and single-parent families, as well as children who lack attention. These issues are becoming increasingly relevant in today's society. Because of emancipation in family life, the concepts of masculinity and femininity have been replaced in the relationship between men and women. Women are adopting the habits, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 30 actions, and lifestyle of men, moving away from femininity and becoming more masculine. This trend is fueled by literature and movies that celebrate strong, confident women who do not rely on men for support. These changes also affected family life, and emancipation left its mark. Today, women give birth to one or two children, and a year later, they go back to work. Instead of focusing on building a family, women are exploring new territories. They devote most of their energy to work and social activities, just like men. However, women's biological potential and bioenergy are limited, and they must find ways to manage their resources effectively. As a result, women are often torn between different responsibilities. When you choose one of them, your life becomes boring and incomplete. Working in two directions develops and forms new qualities, but it also becomes exhausting and frustrating. Career growth makes a woman confident, increases self-esteem, leads to material prosperity, and raises the status of a mother to a new level. However, in this case, the male responsibilities are fully assumed by the female gender. A tired woman may eventually come to the conclusion that she does not need a family or a husband if she is solely responsible for providing for the family and raising the children. Statistics show that modern women are less likely to get married or divorce when they do not feel supported by a male partner, leading to a decrease in their need for a family. This trend leads to single-parent families and gaps in child-rearing. Currently, the issue of combining work and family in the life of a modern woman is studied both in social psychology and in related fields, such as age and educational psychology, family psychology, and industrial psychology. In social psychology, this topic is primarily studied from a role-based and gender-based perspective, where this combination is primarily viewed as a source of conflict. At the same time, the analysis of the literature shows that this problem has not been sufficiently studied from the perspective of social cognition psychology, particularly the theory of social representations. Currently, the most popular model of the family is one where women, like men, prioritize their careers over their families. Additionally, it is important to note that women strive for financial independence. This need is driven by the current stage of societal development. Today, women are forced to be active by modern living conditions: First of all, in the current conditions, a woman requires further development and selfrealization as an individual. This is because a family is a living organism that either develops or degrades and dies. In order for a family to develop, each spouse must develop. As long as a person continues to improve their character traits, learn new things, broaden their horizons, and be interesting to other family members, the family will remain strong. Secondly, in order for a woman to properly raise her children, she needs a good education and an active attitude, which will allow her to solve the problems of her family and children in the right way. An educated woman will be able to provide her children with much more, which is very important. This will broaden their horizons and make their lives much easier. They will find it easier to learn new things, and their existing knowledge will be supplemented. Neither kindergartens nor schools can provide the same level of education that parents can. And since the child spends most of his time with his mother, it is very important that the woman not only feeds, dresses, and looks after the children, but also develops them. To do this, she must be educated herself. In families where the parents have higher education, the question of whether the child should go to college or not is not even a question. It is a given, both for school and for college. This makes it easier for such children to achieve success in life. In the third, the active participation of women in the ongoing processes of renewal of the economic, socio-political, and spiritual spheres of society is a crucial condition for the SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 31 development of society. It is possible to draw a clear parallel between the type of women and the type of society. This is because women raise their own kind. The type of woman determines the type of children, and therefore the type of society. We shouldn't forget that a woman can give love to her children, her husband, her colleagues, her business partners, her friends, and her acquaintances. She can do anything because she is driven by the purpose of giving life. It doesn't matter if it's a business project, a child, or a delicious meal. However, a woman cannot be busy six days a week. In this case, she won't have enough time for her family, her children, her home, or herself. As a result, her family will be somewhat neglected. Her first priority is her own family, and her children come first. Therefore, we need to consider how to create conditions for women's participation in public life. It is not logical to treat men and women equally in this regard. We believe that this approach is more democratic. The democratization of society, which is the core and guarantor of development, is inconceivable without increasing the role of women, without active and specifically female intervention and participation in all our transformations. The social status of women, which focuses on diverse social connections and relationships, is an indicator of the maturity and wellbeing of society, as well as a measure of its progressiveness and humanity. The emancipation of women cannot be reversed. Indeed, many women would not agree to have their rights taken away, even if it comes with a burden of responsibilities. It is especially worth noting that today a woman cannot afford to limit herself to only one social role, whether it is a mother or a businesswoman. The most acceptable combination is a number of status positions, roles both at the level of the institution of the family, relations within the family, and within society as a macro-institution. A modern woman seeks to harmoniously combine and successfully implement those social roles that are important and interesting to her. In today's society, the role of a woman is not limited to fulfilling her direct duties at work, but also to realizing herself as a good mother, an exemplary wife, and a homemaker. The main principle for any woman should be to follow the "golden mean" rule [16]. Conclusion Women have a very honorable and important role in society. After all, it is her heartfelt kindness that should soften conflicts and direct the unrestrained male power and energy in a positive direction. If we manage to elevate the position of women and equalize their importance in building society, many of our society's problems will be resolved. However, this requires creating an environment in which women can thrive both as exemplary mothers and as skilled professionals. This is the key to achieving a harmonious society. Based on these insights, we have developed the following recommendations: 1. The state should purposefully study the opportunities for young mothers and create conditions for their self-realization; 2. It is necessary to adopt laws aimed at expanding opportunities for women's selfrealization; 3. Create conditions for women to acquire professions and higher education. 4. To reduce the working hours of mothers while maintaining their wages, so that they can spend their free time raising their children. 5. 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Гендерная статистика Узбекистана. При использовании материалов, ссылка на gender.stat.uz SCIENCE AND INNOVATION INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL VOLUME 4 ISSUE 12 DECEMBER 2025 ISSN: 2181-3337 | SCIENTISTS.UZ 33