MA International Affairs Personal Statement Uzbek
- Jul 4, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 7

I am committed to dedicating my life to the cause of liberating women in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian republics, assisting them in organizing and safeguarding their human rights. Women in my country face significant oppression, and XXXX can equip me with the intellectual tools and credentials needed to play a pivotal role in organizing Uzbek women, enabling us to collectively demand our rights and gradually reform the patriarchal structure of Uzbek society. At XXU, I aim to deepen my understanding of the international struggle for women’s liberation, the historical complexities involved, and how to become a more effective organizer.
In the future, I plan to establish my own NGO to foster gender equality and protect human rights. Thus, I am eager to learn about social networking, political organization, and communications. I am drawn to the interdisciplinary approach of your program and look forward to studying the myriad challenges facing the Central Asian republics, our relations with Russia and the West, the intersection of religion and politics, the situation in Afghanistan, the war on terror, and Islamic fundamentalism. I aim to create opportunities for women in the region in education, travel, and business. Therefore, I need to enhance my expertise in the psychology of women, the sociology of gender, and the nature of human and political organization.
I aspire to contribute to the reform of our educational system, which is harsh, oppressive, and unjust, as it distorts children’s perceptions of gender and society. Growing up in Uzbekistan, I often wished I were a boy. I want to combat the causes of extreme domestic violence against women in my country. I seek to become knowledgeable about policies and practices designed to protect women in various countries, particularly in the West, and understand why we lag so far behind. Uzbek women continue to face regular abuse from their husbands and in-laws, and I am determined to change this.
Foreign and local NGOs are the primary forces for progressive change in my country, and I wish to work for an NGO and eventually establish my own. A transformative experience for me was during my first year in college when I volunteered for the NGO “AYOL” (Woman). It was then that I realized my desire to start my own NGO and devote my life to building solidarity among women across Central Asia. I want to tackle the problem at its roots and work towards progressive change in our educational systems while helping women advance and find markets for their products, such as knitting, oriental rugs, and baked goods, by organizing female-run cooperatives to achieve financial independence from men.
I continue to volunteer as an organizer with AYOL, assisting with online conferences. I have the necessary equipment at home and have learned to leverage time zone differences. During conference meetings, I speak with young women from across Central Asia pursuing education and careers in the West. Sometimes, I record interviews with participants and upload them online. The Director of AYOL has praised my work as highly effective.
I am committed to providing young girls with study materials to prepare for entrance exams, which are often hard to obtain. I aim to organize girls and women to collectively address our challenges. The involvement of local teachers in future meetings will be crucial. I wish to focus on girls admitted to college and reward those with outstanding achievements. I plan to develop an NGO that publishes a magazine offering information on campus jobs, foreign grants or scholarships, libraries, and free internet resources. I am excited that your program allows cross-registration with other universities, which will help me build my solidarity network.
I am eager to learn from the entire academic community, including peers and professors, and to utilize the resources of the university and its surroundings. I want to study history, social movements, political structures, and the sociology of women’s struggles. XXXX is an ideal place for me to pursue a career in international relations and foster greater solidarity among NGOs to protect and advance women’s rights worldwide. I am particularly excited about how SIPA fosters an intimate, friendly, and collaborative environment within its MIA program. I want to develop skills in multiple areas and enjoy interdisciplinary study and group work. Furthermore, XXXX hosts a wide range of speakers, from renowned politicians to pop stars.
Growing up, I witnessed numerous instances of abuse against women. When I was 12, my twin aunts both married and later faced severe abuse along with their children, forcing them to return home. However, due to societal norms, my grandmother was reluctant to protect them. I am determined to change this. In 2006, I arrived in the United States as a student with great hope. Unfortunately, a few months later, my uncle, who was funding my education, passed away. I had to transfer to a more affordable school and failed to secure a scholarship, forcing me to support myself to continue my studies. I have read extensively on women’s rights globally, including “Murder in Samarkand” by former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, which provides a foreign perspective on Uzbekistan’s human rights situation. This book has inspired me profoundly. I continue to hold great hope. I speak English, Russian, Uzbek, Tajik, and some French, and I pray for the women and children of Uzbekistan in all five languages.
Empowering Uzbek Women MA International Affairs Personal Statement






This statement offers a powerful, deeply moving, and intellectually grounded portrait of someone whose commitment to women’s rights is not abstract but born from lived experience, moral clarity, and a profound sense of responsibility. What makes it especially compelling is the way your personal history, activism, and academic aspirations all reinforce one another, creating a narrative that feels both urgent and purposeful.
Your dedication to the liberation of Uzbek and Central Asian women comes through with remarkable strength. You articulate not only the injustices you’ve witnessed but also the structural forces behind them—patriarchy, educational inequality, economic dependence, and cultural norms that silence women. This awareness gives your goals real depth. You’re not simply hoping to “help”; you’re preparing to challenge…