August 02, 2011
One can criticize Central Asian governments for many things — from corruption to their intractably undemocratic ways. But perhaps due more than anything to the Soviet legacy, women in that predominantly Muslim region participate in politics, business, and other spheres of public life.
That said, while some of the following 10 picks for most influential women in Central Asia have risen to the top solely on their merits, there are more than a few whose family ties have paved the way to success.
Roza Otunbaeva: president of Kyrgyzstan
Roza Otunbaeva stepped into the breach to become interim president after the whirlwind exit of Kurmanbek Bakiev in April 2010. She then led the country through a turbulent three months — including deadly ethnic violence in the ousted president’s southern stronghold, as well as a pivotal referendum on Kyrgyzstan’s interim leadership and constitutional changes to dilute the presidency — before being sworn in on July 3 for a one-and-done term that ends in December 2011.(…)
Read all the 10 Influential Women’s stories in Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty org
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