1. Polygamy
1.1. Women want polygamy legalized
1.1.1. It's one of the only ways women can gain financial security.
1.1.1.1. "I want to become a second wife" is being said more commonly even though polygamy is illegal.
1.1.1.1.1. The practice is allowed under Islam, but the predominantly Muslim republic forbids it.
1.2. There is a punishment for polygamy
1.2.1. It is punishable with a fine of up to 830 US dollars or two years of hard labor.
1.3. The children of the women that marry polygamists have later on trouble confirming paternity, claiming inheritance and social benefits.
1.4. https://iwpr.net/global-voices/tajik-women-want-polygamy-legalised
1.5. The revival in Tajikistan of polygamy - which has been outlawed by the government but is supported by many imams - underscores a surprising swift return to traditional cultural and religious practices in all the former Soviet republics of Central Asia.
2. Work
2.1. For women in rural areas of Tajikistan, picking cotton is one fo the few ways to earn cash. They are paid 30 diram ($0.06) per kilo.
2.2. Women take loans to be able to survive, but around 11 percent of women cannot repay their loans.
2.3. Women usually do agriculatural work to provide for their family.
2.4. It is not uncommon for women to also leave Tajikistan to work abroad.
2.4.1. Desperation and poverty are forcing tens of thousands of women to hit the road.
2.4.1.1. Experts voice concern that many female migrants are at the risk of being abused and trafficked for sex.
2.4.1.1.1. They usually work as cleaning ladies
2.4.2. Only 14 percent of the roughly 9.1 million foreign nationals working in the country have work permits.
2.4.2.1. There are cases where women are promised jobs and then forced to work for free, sometimes as prostitutes.
2.4.2.1.1. These crimes go unreported because most women are not officially registered.
2.4.3. Women leave their children back.
2.4.3.1. The children usually get send to an orphanage or stay with relatives.
3. Causes/Background
3.1. Tajikistan's decade-long economic downturn has promoted hundreds of thousands of men to find work in Kazakhstan and Russia.
3.2. Polygamy is seen like a status symbol and is common even among the country's officials, even though it is illegal.
3.3. Women, now lead of the household, sturggle to provide for their family alone.
4. Divorce
4.1. After the husbands leave Tajikistan to work somewhere else, they might be gone for months or even years.
4.1.1. It sometimes takes weeks or months for them to get paid.
4.1.1.1. Husbands usually send the money to their parents instead of their wives. It is not unlikely for the parents in-law to not share the money.
4.2. When the pressure is too much, men usually divorce their wifes that they left at home.
4.2.1. It is very common for women to get divorced over the phone or by text message.
4.2.1.1. Tajikistan is among the few Muslim nations where men can divorce their wives by repeating the word "taloq"- divorce - three times.
4.2.1.1.1. Even though the State Religious Affairs Committee outlawed the practice, it is still common.
4.3. Divorce rate has gone up 14.3% in 2013. Observers say however that the real number could be higher, as many marriages and divorces are not officially registered. Instead people, particularly in rural parts of the country, marry or get divorced according to Islamic rituals.
4.3.1. Many, if not most marriages in Tajikistan today are not officially registered with the government, and are therefore not recognized under Tajik law.
4.4. After divorce. and also if the husband dies, women commonly lose both property and home, since traditionally a bride goes to live with her husband or his parents.
5. Issues
5.1. The main problem for the abandoned wives is the lack of housing. Ex-husbands don't pay alimony, which means women have no money to feed their children.
5.2. Children have to drop out of school to help provide for the family.
5.2.1. Parents usually send their children to an orphanage, unable to provide for them.
5.2.1.1. Parents usually mention that it is only temporary, but it's unlikely for them to come back.
5.3. After their husbands leave, women usually not only have to look after their children, but also after their parents and their parents-in-laws.
5.3.1. Mothers usually get desperate, and even sell their daughters in some cases.
6. Introduction
6.1. Thesis Statement
6.1.1. When Tajik men leave the country for work, their wives are left behind to face numerous problems alone.
6.1.1.1. Women are forced to get divorced, often choose polygamy, have difficulty finding work and providing for their families.