Tradition, stigma, and inclusion: overcoming obstacles to educational access in Tajikistan

Abstract

This case study examines how one woman in Tajikistan overcame cultural andsocial obstacles, including Tajik gender norms, family influences, social stigma,and institutional and attitudinal barriers, to enroll her son with disabilitiesin her village’s primary school. This case study offers potential lessons andavenues for educational inclusion for children with disabilities in Tajikistanand helps define some remaining challenges for education for all in the republic.We first discuss some initial problems related to issues of shame, stigma,and gender expectations associated with having a child with disabilities inTajikistan and additional obstaclesposed by cultural norms in rural Tajiksociety. The woman in our study was able to marshal culturally appropriatemeans to circumvent them by advocating for her son. We then investigatesome institutional and attitudinal barriers related to educational inclusion thatthe woman encountered, such as the Soviet legacy of state medicalized discourseof children with disabilities and several specific challenges at the localschool level. However, the woman in our study was able again to reframe discoursesof «health» with the help of Parents’ Association for Children withDisabilities in Tajikistan and advocate successfully for her son’s inclusion intheir local school. Both Tajik civil society organizations and new legal frameworksadopted by the Tajik parliament have been vital in providing parents likethe one in the case study with the legal means to challenge education officialsand provide their children with inclusive educational opportunities. Lastly, weconsider the remaining challenges the family may face as the child progressesthrough school and beyond and offer some recommendations for their amelioration.Even though in this case the woman in our case study was able toovercome significant barriers to include her son in school, many challengesremain. A very small percentage of children with disabilities are currentlyenrolled in mainstream schools and state policies remain an obstacle for manyparents to advocate on their children’s behalf.