Why being childfree remains taboo in Central Asia
In Central Asian countries, young women often begin facing questions about pregnancy only a few months after getting married. Families are expected to have children quickly, while motherhood is viewed not merely as a personal choice but as a natural and almost obligatory continuation of marriage.
In recent years, however, the term «childfree» has increasingly entered public discussion across the region. Some see it as a person’s right to decide independently whether to become a parent. Others view it as a foreign ideology that contradicts traditional and religious values.
There are no reliable statistics on the number of childfree people in Central Asia. The phenomenon is not widespread, and women who openly say they do not want children often face pressure from relatives and society.
«Children never fit into my vision of life»
Twenty-eight-year-old Aizirek Almazbekova from Kyrgyzstan has been married for more than five years. She and her husband decided before their wedding that they did not want to become parents.
«Having children never fit into my vision of life,» she says.
When their parents learned about the couple’s decision, they reacted emotionally. Aizirek was told that «this is not how Kyrgyz people live» and that she should not say aloud that she did not want children.
In her view, in a patriarchal society, a woman’s refusal to become a mother is seen as a rejection of her prescribed social role. At the same time, Aizirek says she regularly revisits her decision and asks herself whether her feelings have changed.
She also believes that after the birth of a child, women are more likely to face career interruptions, financial dependence, health problems and chronic sleep deprivation. For that reason, she says, the decision to become a parent should be based on personal desire rather than social expectations.
«I do not have the energy for another responsibility»
Thirty-year-old Marina from Kazakhstan does not describe herself as firmly childfree, but admits that she does not want children at this stage of her life.
Since the age of 19, she has cared for her seriously ill mother and believes she lacks the emotional capacity to take on another lifelong responsibility.
«By the age of 30, I still have neither the desire nor the readiness to have children,» she says.
Marina observes the lives of women her age who have children and realizes that, for her, happiness is connected with travel, new experiences and the freedom to manage her own time. She is also frightened by the possibility of having a child with a serious health condition.
At the same time, she is not ready to rule out motherhood permanently. According to Marina, her current answer to whether she wants children is about 80 percent «no.»
What irritates her most are questions from relatives and near-strangers about when she and her husband will have a child.
«No one has the right to decide for my husband and me when we should have children,» she says.
«The thought of having a child caused panic attacks»
Thirty-two-year-old Amina from Tajikistan has been married for around ten years. She never described herself as childfree because the term seemed too negative and socially stigmatized.
Amina grew up in a traditional family and had always assumed that she would eventually become a mother. Yet the thought of having a child caused her anxiety.
She feared major changes in her life, did not feel particularly attached to children and believed that parenthood required serious financial, psychological and physical preparation.
For around six years after getting married, Amina postponed having a child. Her relatives regularly asked why the couple still had no children.
She eventually became pregnant while still uncertain about whether she was ready for motherhood. According to Amina, her age, health concerns and family pressure influenced her decision.
She now has a daughter whom she loves deeply, but says she is unlikely to have a second child.
«The final decision should always belong to the woman. She carries the main physical and emotional burden of pregnancy, childbirth and childcare,» Amina says.
The position of religious leaders
The childfree debate has attracted additional attention following statements by Muslim religious authorities.
Kazakhstan’s Muslim Spiritual Administration issued a fatwa describing childfree ideology as contrary to Islamic values. The document says that the right to have a child belongs to both spouses and that a conscious refusal to have children may weaken the institution of the family and negatively affect the future of the nation.
The Islamic Center of Tajikistan holds a similar position. Jamoliddin Khomushov, head of its fatwa department, said in an interview with Azzatyk Asia that under the Hanafi school of Islamic law, having children is one of the main purposes of marriage.
According to him, a complete refusal to have children without a valid reason does not correspond to the Islamic understanding of family. At the same time, neither spouse should deprive the other of the opportunity to become a parent.
Kazakh sociologist Kamila Kovyazina believes such statements may increase public pressure but are unlikely to change the minds of people who have already made a conscious decision not to have children.
Motherhood as an obligation to the family
Dushanbe-based psychologist Firouza Mirzoyeva explains the rejection of childfree choices through the region’s collectivist culture, in which a person is viewed primarily as part of a family, clan or wider kinship group.
Within this system, motherhood becomes one of the main components of a woman’s social identity. A refusal to have children is therefore seen not as a personal decision but as a failure to fulfil obligations to the family.
According to the psychologist, reluctance to become a parent can sometimes be linked to early experiences of excessive responsibility. Eldest daughters in large families may spend their teenage years caring for younger siblings and effectively performing the role of a mother.
Girls are also taught from an early age that their main goal is to marry and have children. Any alternative life path may therefore cause confusion or rejection among those around them.
Mirzoyeva notes that in her professional practice, even women who already have children sometimes ask themselves whether they genuinely wanted to become mothers or simply fulfilled their families’ expectations.
A global trend
According to Kamila Kovyazina, the growing number of people who consciously reject parenthood is part of wider global social change.
Women now have more opportunities for education, professional development and financial independence. At the same time, attitudes towards raising children have changed. Modern parents increasingly aim to provide quality education, emotional well-being and strong opportunities for their children’s future.
The scale of this responsibility, combined with difficulties in purchasing housing, limited incomes, economic crises, wars and climate change, leads many young people to postpone parenthood or reject it altogether.
In Central Asia, however, where family, religious and traditional norms remain strong, the decision not to have children is still seen not only as a personal choice but also as a challenge to society.
In recent years, however, the term «childfree» has increasingly entered public discussion across the region. Some see it as a person’s right to decide independently whether to become a parent. Others view it as a foreign ideology that contradicts traditional and religious values.
There are no reliable statistics on the number of childfree people in Central Asia. The phenomenon is not widespread, and women who openly say they do not want children often face pressure from relatives and society.
«Children never fit into my vision of life»
Twenty-eight-year-old Aizirek Almazbekova from Kyrgyzstan has been married for more than five years. She and her husband decided before their wedding that they did not want to become parents.
«Having children never fit into my vision of life,» she says.
When their parents learned about the couple’s decision, they reacted emotionally. Aizirek was told that «this is not how Kyrgyz people live» and that she should not say aloud that she did not want children.
In her view, in a patriarchal society, a woman’s refusal to become a mother is seen as a rejection of her prescribed social role. At the same time, Aizirek says she regularly revisits her decision and asks herself whether her feelings have changed.
She also believes that after the birth of a child, women are more likely to face career interruptions, financial dependence, health problems and chronic sleep deprivation. For that reason, she says, the decision to become a parent should be based on personal desire rather than social expectations.
«I do not have the energy for another responsibility»
Thirty-year-old Marina from Kazakhstan does not describe herself as firmly childfree, but admits that she does not want children at this stage of her life.
Since the age of 19, she has cared for her seriously ill mother and believes she lacks the emotional capacity to take on another lifelong responsibility.
«By the age of 30, I still have neither the desire nor the readiness to have children,» she says.
Marina observes the lives of women her age who have children and realizes that, for her, happiness is connected with travel, new experiences and the freedom to manage her own time. She is also frightened by the possibility of having a child with a serious health condition.
At the same time, she is not ready to rule out motherhood permanently. According to Marina, her current answer to whether she wants children is about 80 percent «no.»
What irritates her most are questions from relatives and near-strangers about when she and her husband will have a child.
«No one has the right to decide for my husband and me when we should have children,» she says.
«The thought of having a child caused panic attacks»
Thirty-two-year-old Amina from Tajikistan has been married for around ten years. She never described herself as childfree because the term seemed too negative and socially stigmatized.
Amina grew up in a traditional family and had always assumed that she would eventually become a mother. Yet the thought of having a child caused her anxiety.
She feared major changes in her life, did not feel particularly attached to children and believed that parenthood required serious financial, psychological and physical preparation.
For around six years after getting married, Amina postponed having a child. Her relatives regularly asked why the couple still had no children.
She eventually became pregnant while still uncertain about whether she was ready for motherhood. According to Amina, her age, health concerns and family pressure influenced her decision.
She now has a daughter whom she loves deeply, but says she is unlikely to have a second child.
«The final decision should always belong to the woman. She carries the main physical and emotional burden of pregnancy, childbirth and childcare,» Amina says.
The position of religious leaders
The childfree debate has attracted additional attention following statements by Muslim religious authorities.
Kazakhstan’s Muslim Spiritual Administration issued a fatwa describing childfree ideology as contrary to Islamic values. The document says that the right to have a child belongs to both spouses and that a conscious refusal to have children may weaken the institution of the family and negatively affect the future of the nation.
The Islamic Center of Tajikistan holds a similar position. Jamoliddin Khomushov, head of its fatwa department, said in an interview with Azzatyk Asia that under the Hanafi school of Islamic law, having children is one of the main purposes of marriage.
According to him, a complete refusal to have children without a valid reason does not correspond to the Islamic understanding of family. At the same time, neither spouse should deprive the other of the opportunity to become a parent.
Kazakh sociologist Kamila Kovyazina believes such statements may increase public pressure but are unlikely to change the minds of people who have already made a conscious decision not to have children.
Motherhood as an obligation to the family
Dushanbe-based psychologist Firouza Mirzoyeva explains the rejection of childfree choices through the region’s collectivist culture, in which a person is viewed primarily as part of a family, clan or wider kinship group.
Within this system, motherhood becomes one of the main components of a woman’s social identity. A refusal to have children is therefore seen not as a personal decision but as a failure to fulfil obligations to the family.
According to the psychologist, reluctance to become a parent can sometimes be linked to early experiences of excessive responsibility. Eldest daughters in large families may spend their teenage years caring for younger siblings and effectively performing the role of a mother.
Girls are also taught from an early age that their main goal is to marry and have children. Any alternative life path may therefore cause confusion or rejection among those around them.
Mirzoyeva notes that in her professional practice, even women who already have children sometimes ask themselves whether they genuinely wanted to become mothers or simply fulfilled their families’ expectations.
A global trend
According to Kamila Kovyazina, the growing number of people who consciously reject parenthood is part of wider global social change.
Women now have more opportunities for education, professional development and financial independence. At the same time, attitudes towards raising children have changed. Modern parents increasingly aim to provide quality education, emotional well-being and strong opportunities for their children’s future.
The scale of this responsibility, combined with difficulties in purchasing housing, limited incomes, economic crises, wars and climate change, leads many young people to postpone parenthood or reject it altogether.
In Central Asia, however, where family, religious and traditional norms remain strong, the decision not to have children is still seen not only as a personal choice but also as a challenge to society.
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