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FROM TASHKENT TO MOSKOW; THE POLITICAL PATH OF JAHON
OBIDOVA
Olimova Sevara
A student of Karshi State University,
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16932857
Annotation;
This article explores the political trajectory of Jahon Obidova,
one of the most prominent Uzbek female figures of the Soviet era. Starting her
career in Tashkent, Obidova rose through the political ranks during a time of
major social transformation in Uzbekistan. As an advocate for women's
emancipation and education, she became a symbol of Soviet modernization and
gender reform. Her journey to Moscow and eventual inclusion in the Soviet
administrative elite marks a significant chapter in the political history of Central
Asian women. Drawing on primary sources, memoirs, and archival materials, the
study not only reconstructs Obidova's contributions but also situates her legacy
within the broader narrative of Soviet gender politics and repression. The article
also sheds light on the personal sacrifices and ideological complexities faced by
women like Obidova who were navigating power in a patriarchal and
authoritarian system.
Keywords:
Jahon Obidova, Soviet Uzbekistan, women’s emancipation,
gender politics, political repression, Moscow, Central Asia, politicak leadership,
Tashkent, Moskow, gender politicc, Communist Party, Central Asian Women,
Soviat-era feminism, Uzbek history, education and power, women’s
emancipation.
Jahon Obidova holds a prominent and unique place in the political history of
Uzbekistan as one of the first women to reach high political office during the
early Soviet era. Her life and career reflect both the opportunities and
contradictions of Soviet modernization in Central Asia, especially as it pertained
to women
1
. She was born in 1900 in the Fergana Valley, an area deeply rooted in
traditional Islamic culture, where women's lives were largely confined to the
private sphere. As a child, Obidova was sold into marriage at the age of twelve, a
fate not uncommon for girls in the region at that time. However, her story did
not end there. Through Soviet social reforms and her own determination, she
radically altered her life trajectory, becoming a key figure in the women's
emancipation movement.
Obidova's political activism began in the 1920s after the Bolsheviks
consolidated power in Turkestan. She joined the Communist Party and began
1
Kamp E. The New Women in Uzbekistan; Islam, Modernity and Unveiling under Communism. Universiy
of Washington Press. 2006
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working with the zhenotdel, the women’s department established to mobilize
women for the socialist cause
2
. Through this work, she gained a political
education and began participating in organizing campaigns, literacy drives, and
public discussions aimed at drawing women out of seclusion. Most significantly,
she was one of the first Uzbek women to publicly remove her paranja, the
traditional veil worn by women. This act, seen as deeply controversial and even
dangerous at the time, was a declaration of allegiance to the new Soviet ideals of
gender equality and women's participation in public life
3
.
Removing the veil symbolized more than just an individual act of defiance—
it was a collective political gesture meant to challenge entrenched patriarchal
norms and signal the dawn of a new era for Muslim women. For Obidova and
others like her, unveiling was both a personal and political revolution,
representing access to education, freedom of movement, and inclusion in the
political sphere. Her courage in this regard made her a symbol of the “new Soviet
woman” in Central Asia.
Throughout the 1920s and into the 1930s, Obidova’s influence grew as she
took part in the state-sponsored “Hujum” campaign, which sought to liberate
Muslim women from traditional practices
4
. The campaign involved mass
unveilings, educational outreach, and the establishment of women’s clubs and
schools. Obidova worked as an organizer in Tashkent, helping to coordinate
local women's sections, deliver ideological training, and facilitate the opening of
literacy schools for girls. She was particularly active in training young women to
become community leaders and politically conscious citizens.
In 1929, Obidova achieved a major political milestone when she was
appointed Deputy Chairperson of the Central Executive Committee of the Uzbek
Soviet Socialist Republic. At the time, very few women—especially from the
Muslim regions of the USSR—had ever reached such a high-ranking position.
Her appointment signified official recognition of her contributions to the
socialist transformation of society and confirmed her status as one of the leading
female voices of her generation. She frequently traveled across the republic,
visiting rural areas to meet with women, explain government reforms, and listen
to the concerns of the local population. These journeys were not without
danger—many in the traditionalist population viewed Soviet policies on women
as foreign impositions and attacked women activists. Nevertheless, Obidova
2
Kamp E. Unviling Uzbek Women; Liberation, Representation and Discourse in Early Soviat Uzbekistan.
Journal of Women’s History. 2001.
3
Mirsaidov S. Revolutionary Women. Uzbekistan Publishing House. Tashkent; 1972
4
Tokhtakhojaeva M. Between the Slogans of Commuism and the Laws of Islam. Tashkent; 1995
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persisted, advocating for women’s access to healthcare, employment, and
education. In 1935, Jahon Obidova’s career reached a new peak when she was
invited to Moscow to participate in the All-Union Congress of Women. This
marked her transition from a regional political figure to a national one.
Following the congress, she took up a post in the Soviet Union Women’s
Committee, an organization tasked with advancing gender equality across the
USSR
5
. Through this role, she gained broader influence and collaborated with
other leading Soviet women to address social policy, labor rights, childcare, and
education reform. Her work helped shape national conversations about the role
of women in socialism, particularly in Muslim-majority republics like
Uzbekistan.
As a member of the Soviet bureaucracy in Moscow, Obidova authored
essays and reports on women's political engagement and the challenges of
implementing socialist reforms in traditional societies. She emerged as both a
policy-maker and an ideologue, offering guidance on the integration of gender
equality within the broader goals of industrialization and collectivization
6
. At the
same time, she maintained close ties to her homeland, using her position to
advocate for Uzbek women’s issues at the union level.
However, the progress Obidova had made came to an abrupt halt during the
Great Purge of 1937–1938. Like many other Old Bolsheviks and political
activists, she became a target of Stalin's repressions. Falsely accused of
nationalism and alleged associations with “enemies of the people,” Obidova was
arrested and imprisoned. Her downfall reflected the volatile nature of Soviet
politics, where yesterday's heroes were easily recast as traitors. Her arrest not
only silenced one of the most influential female voices in Soviet Central Asia but
also dealt a devastating blow to the broader women's movement in the region.
The years that followed were difficult. Obidova was largely erased from
official memory, her name omitted from publications and public discourse.
However, she was eventually rehabilitated in the 1950s, during Khrushchev’s
thaw, when many victims of Stalinist purges were posthumously or formally
cleared of charges. In the 1960s, she returned to social work and research,
though she never fully regained her political standing
7
. Despite this, her
contributions were gradually rediscovered and reassessed, particularly during
the post-Soviet era when historians began reexamining the complexities of early
Soviet gender politics.
5
Soviat Woman Magazine Archive. Moskow. [ 1935-1952]
6
Khodjaev F. The Uzbek Women in Socialist Construction. 1934
7
Muminiva R. Uzbek Women on the Historical Stage. Sharq. Tashkent; 1998
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Jahon Obidova's legacy extends far beyond her formal political roles. She
represents a generation of women who navigated immense personal and
societal transformation under a system that both empowered and betrayed
them. Her life story—from a young girl forced into marriage, to a revolutionary
figure in Tashkent, to a national policy-maker in Moscow, and finally to a victim
of state repression—encapsulates the paradoxes of Soviet modernization
8
.
In modern Uzbekistan, Obidova is increasingly recognized as a pioneer in
the fight for gender equality. Her bravery in confronting patriarchal norms, her
resilience in the face of political persecution, and her tireless work to uplift other
women remain relevant and inspiring. She helped shape the intellectual and
political contours of female emancipation in Central Asia, and her name is now
included in discussions of both feminist history and the broader narrative of
Soviet reform. Jahon Obidova stands as one of the earliest feminist symbols in
Uzbek politics, her story etched permanently into the annals of history
References:
1. Kamp, E. (2006). The New Woman in Uzbekistan: Islam, Modernity, and
Unveiling under Communism. University of Washington Press.
2. Ibragimov, A. (1986). Women of Uzbekistan in the Revolution and Socialist
Construction. Tashkent: Uzbekistan.
3. Kamp, E. (2001). “Unveiling Uzbek Women: Liberation, Representation, and
Discourse in Early Soviet Uzbekistan,” Journal of Women’s History, 12(3), 35–58.
4. Mirsaidov, S. (1972). Revolutionary Women. Tashkent: Uzbekistan Publishing
House.
5. Massell, G. (1974). The Surrogate Proletariat: Moslem Women and
Revolutionary Strategies in Soviet Central Asia. Princeton University Press.
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Publishing.
11. Khodjaev, F. (1934). The Uzbek Woman in Socialist Construction.
12. Historical Archive of the USSR: Repressions of 1937, Fund 3, File 216.
8
Uzbekistan National Archive, Fund 141, Inventory 12, File 45.
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13. Muminova, R. (1998). Uzbek Women on the Historical Stage. Tashkent:
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