Young teacher helps improve rural life in Tajikistan

12/05/2026

The tap runs just a few hours each day. Electricity cuts come without warning. There is no regular bus to the nearest town.

In Lolazor, a village in western Tajikistan, most families rely on what they grow, raise or trade with neighbours.
Women here play a central role in agriculture and rural livelihoods. They work tirelessly on family farms – but their contributions often go unrecognized. Rather than being acknowledged as farmers in their own right, they frequently are seen as helpers.

Social norms still shape what many young women can study, where they can go and whether they can choose their own future.

Yet even within these constraints, change is beginning to take root. And it is driven by a new generation of women such as Salima Amirzoda, who are challenging expectations and expanding what is possible for women in their communities.

At 22, Salima balances a full-time teaching job with a growing role in her community. She teaches history at a secondary school in Hisor, the town closest to her home village.

Salima’s grandfather was a tractor driver. As the eldest daughter in a large family, she spent much of her childhood helping her mother, caring for younger siblings and seeing how hard it was to make a living from the land.

 “I was always curious,” Salima says. “Even as a child, I would watch how people worked in the fields – their patience, their love for the land. That left a deep impression on me.”

As she grew older, Salima continued helping her family in the garden and became interested in practical ways to improve farming and daily life in her community. So when the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) began supporting activities in Lolazor focused on farming practices and rural women’s livelihoods, Salima was among the first to get involved. She attended public meetings, asked questions and joined discussions on supporting local women. Her energy, curiosity and determination stood out, and she later took part in FAO-supported trainings and study visits.

As she grew older, Salima continued helping her family in the garden and became interested in practical ways to improve farming and daily life in her community. So when the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) began supporting activities in Lolazor focused focused on practical farming methods and opportunities for rural women, Salima was among the first to get involved. She attended public meetings, asked questions and joined discussions on supporting local women. Her energy, curiosity and determination stood out and soon opened new opportunities. 

“I wanted to understand what was happening and how I could be part of it,” she says.

In 2023, Salima joined a study visit to the Fergana Valley in neighbouring Uzbekistan. It was the first time she had travelled abroad and the first time she could exchange ideas with women farmers from another country.

The visit focused on practical solutions: composting to improve soil, beekeeping, greenhouse production and simple technologies that can raise yields. One well-managed lemon greenhouse made a strong impression on her. It was well organized, efficient and based on methods that could be adapted elsewhere.

But what stayed with her most was seeing women in leadership roles. Coming from a place where women are not typically seen as decision makers, Salima was inspired to see what leadership looked like in practice.

“I met women who managed their farms with confidence,” Salima recalls. “They were leading the work and making decisions.”

When she returned home to Lolazor, Salima began applying what she had learned in her family’s garden and sharing practical ideas on soil care and livestock management with her neighbours. Her experience as a teacher helped her encourage discussions and explain new ideas clearly. The initial response was mixed. Some were sceptical of unfamiliar practices, while others watched with curiosity. But as small changes began to show results, conversations deepened and trust grew.

In parallel, a project supported by FAO and funded by the Government of Türkiye was launched in her village. The initiative gave rural women access to training, new equipment and practical opportunities to earn income. It also worked with local institutions to promote inclusive development and ensure that women’s needs are reflected in rural policies.
During this period, some women in the village also began meeting informally to exchange ideas and explore small ways to earn income.

“In our village, some girls still leave school early,” she says. “Others marry very young. I want them to know they have choices. They can learn, work and lead.”

Salima’s own path was not straightforward.

She had planned to study international relations, starting her studies in that field. When plans to study in the city became difficult, she adapted and continued her education online. Later, with her father’s support, she began working outside the village as a teacher.

What seemed like a setback became another way to contribute to her community.

Salima believes education can open doors, especially in agriculture. “My greatest wish is for women to have choices and live without unnecessary hardship,” she says. “Every rural woman should have the chance to learn and live with dignity.”
Across Tajikistan, women make up nearly 60 percent of the agricultural workforce. With many men migrating for work, women often manage farms and households. Yet, as they are not always recognized as farmers, they are less likely to receive training, inputs, finance and a voice in decision-making. These opportunities are still more often directed towards men, reinforcing existing inequalities and limiting the full potential of women and rural communities.

“Women are the backbone of agriculture in Tajikistan,” says FAO Gender Officer Marianna Bicchieri. “Yet they are still not fully recognized as farmers. If we want agriculture to thrive, we need to recognize, support and invest in women farmers.”

Salima wants to study agriculture, to learn modern farming methods that can support farmers in her community. “I want to help make farming easier and more efficient,” she says. “And I want to keep learning so I can give back.”

She does not call herself an activist. But through her choices, her work and her willingness to share what she learns, Salima is changing how people in her village see what is possible, especially for young women.

This story is part of a series celebrating women farmers worldwide, from producers, fishers and pastoralists to traders, agricultural scientists and rural entrepreneurs. The International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026 recognizes their essential contributions to food security, economic prosperity and improved nutrition and livelihoods, despite heavier workloads, precarious working conditions and unequal access to resources. It calls for collective action and investment to empower women, in all their diversity, and to build a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable agrifood system for all.