From Bazaar to Online: How Digitalization Is Transforming the Lives of Women Traders in Kyrgyzstan 

Around the world, online shopping is growing rapidly and becoming an integral part of daily life. For instance, in 2025, every third person was engaged in online commerce. This trend is also evident in Kyrgyzstan, where internet accessibility has reached nearly 98%. However, what does this shift mean for a country whose economy once relied heavily on traditional bazaars? More importantly, how is the move toward online commerce affecting women traders, who were among the driving forces of this system during the country’s transition period? 

Historical Context: The Bazaar — The Pillar of Survival

In Kyrgyzstan, bazaars are considered one of the most important parts of the country’s economy. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, when most state enterprises closed and unemployment increased, bazaars became the main source of income for the people. Since then, this system has been preserved, and even today, thousands of people make a living through the bazaar.

Currently, there are 315 bazaars of various sizes in Kyrgyzstan. Among them, the “Dordoi,” “Osh,” and “Kara-Suu” bazaars are the largest.

One of the best examples of the bazaar’s central role in Kyrgyz life is the Dordoi bazaar in Bishkek. Dordoi emerged in the early 1990s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, starting as a simple flea market. In the beginning, people gathered in open spaces to sell their personal belongings or goods brought from abroad. Over time, this small trading area expanded, shipping containers were installed, and it evolved into the massive hub with developed infrastructure that we see today. 

Today, “Dordoi” is the largest bazaar in Central Asia, where clothing and goods are sold wholesale and retail. Its area is 100 hectares, and there are more than 55,000 workplaces. Its annual turnover reaches up to 6 billion dollars, making it significant for the country’s economy. Also, Dordoi is well known as a re-export hub. Traders buy goods from China, Turkey, and other countries, and then sell them again to Russia, Kazakhstan, and other Central Asian countries.

The most interesting thing is that women played a huge role in the transition of bazaars like “Dordoi” to the international level and their transformation into re-export hubs. They were the women known as “shuttle traders” who traded while carrying checkered bags. It was those traders who, in the early years of independence, brought goods from countries such as China, Turkey, and India, and then sold them to CIS states. This took the trade turnover in Kyrgyzstan to a new level and laid the foundation for today’s large bazaars. The monument of women carrying checkered bags at the entrance of the “Dordoi” bazaar shows how great their role is in the history of bazaars.

In turn, the founder of the “Dordoi” bazaar, Askar Salymbekov, also noted that the “shuttle traders” carrying checkered bags had an enormous role in the establishment of the bazaar and the stabilization of the economy. 

“Shuttle traders, including women traders, did the work that the former Union of Consumers and the Ministry of Trade did not do. By establishing the largest bazaar in Central Asia here and creating thousands of jobs for Kyrgyzstan, they saved the economy.”International research also shows that the trade sector had a great place in the economy of independent Kyrgyzstan and that women predominated in this field. For instance, in the early 2000s, while wholesale and retail trade made up almost half of the total enterprises in the country, more than 60% of the entrepreneurs in this sector were women.

Umsun: The Face of a Transition Era

One of these women is Umsun. By profession, she is an engineer-technologist of silicate materials. In 1993, she graduated from the prestigious Mendeleev Institute in Moscow. However, by the time Umsun finished her studies, finding a job in the engineering profession had become nearly impossible. In a situation where factories stopped working and unemployment rose sharply, the young specialist chose trade as the only way to earn money and survive. She first began transporting towels from China through Kyrgyzstan and selling them at Moscow’s «Cherkizov» bazaar.

«By the time we finished our studies, the era had changed. Unemployment was high in the country, and I could not work in my profession. At that time, young girls and women like me began entering trade en masse. During those years, I first worked by transporting goods from Kyrgyzstan to Moscow. Later, I reached an agreement with Chinese merchants and started ordering goods directly from China,» she recalls.

According to Umsun, another reason for the mass entry of women into trade as «shuttle traders» was related to the fact that the customs and migration policies of Kazakhstan and Russia at that time were somewhat easier for women compared to men.

«On the trains traveling from Bishkek to Moscow, almost everyone carrying the checkered bags was a woman. This was because there was less pressure on us than on male migrants. In those times, the Bishkek-Moscow train would be loaded with goods even worse than the trains in Bangladesh. Rolls of Chinese fabric would be piled up in the open, and we would meet them in Moscow and transport them to the bazaars,» Umsun remembers.

Her memories reveal an interesting paradox of Kyrgyz society: no matter how traditional and patriarchal the society was, the trade sector became a sphere where women’s voices were loud and where they predominated. This path, started by «shuttle traders» like Umsun, remains an accessible and widespread economic platform for women today. For example, in 2023, almost every sixth woman working in the country was employed in this very trade sector. This is the third most popular field among women, following education and agriculture.

At the same time, trade is one of the rare sectors that reveals the leadership potential of women. While women manage only 30% of total enterprises in the country, this figure reaches 50% in the trade sector. In other words, in this field, women make decisions on equal terms with men.

However, trade is a high-risk sector. Here, besides the entrepreneur’s hard work, state policies and geopolitical situations — which do not depend on them — play a decisive role. Umsun felt this firsthand. When her business was flourishing and had reached a large scale, she got caught in the «trap» of Russia’s law enforcement agencies and suffered millions in losses. This blow was the reason for her return to Kyrgyzstan:

«We were working directly with the Chinese and had reached a large trade turnover. But in 2002, the Russian Federal Security Service came and confiscated $500,000 worth of my goods from the warehouse. Without looking at any documents, they seized everything under the pretext that ‘you haven’t paid taxes.’ Many foreign traders went bankrupt then, and some even took their own lives. I lost everything too. That’s when I decided to leave Russia and return to my homeland.«

After returning to Kyrgyzstan, Umsun spent several years in a different line of trade before eventually returning to the bazaar. She now works at the «Dordoi» bazaar, bringing and selling men’s and women’s clothing from the «Khorgos» trade and logistics center located on the border of China and Kazakhstan.

The Decline of Dordoi: Geopolitics and Digital Competition

As noted above, the Dordoi bazaar has been a source of income for thousands of people for many years. However, in recent years, traders say that trade at the bazaar has slowed down and is no longer as profitable as it used to be. One person who shares this view is Aizat* (*Name changed at her request). By profession, she is also an engineer-technologist. However, she has worked in the trade sector for over 30 years. She first managed a grocery store, and for the last 10 years, she has been bringing women’s clothing from Guangzhou, China, to sell at the Dordoi bazaar.

«I am an engineer-technologist by profession. I worked in this field for a total of three years before moving into trade. As you know, there were no jobs in the 90s. At that time, I started trading out of necessity to support my family. Trade provides more money than a monthly salary and offers financial freedom.«

Despite this, Aizat says that trade at the bazaar has slowed down significantly in the last 3-4 years. She believes that geopolitics and digitalization are the reasons for this:

«Before, merchants from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Tajikistan would come to us and buy goods in bulk. Now, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have introduced a visa-free regime with China, so they bypass us and travel directly to China. Now, we only sell goods to the regions and are limited to the domestic market. In addition, online shopping is growing, and people are ordering whatever they want from the USA or China while sitting at home. The impact of online trade has significantly slowed our business. Even so, we can’t say it’s ‘completely gone,’ and we keep working. We should be thankful for what we have,» Aizat says.

Our first hero, Umsun, agrees with this opinion. She stated that because trade at Dordoi has weakened, she is planning to close her outlet here and move to Guangzhou, China: 

«There has been no trade at all for the past month. We are just sitting here like security guards. That is why I am planning to go to China. I will work directly with factories there and try out new opportunities.«It should be noted that Kazakhstan introduced a visa-free regime with China in 2023, followed by Uzbekistan in 2025. As a result, merchants from neighboring countries gained the opportunity to go directly to China and buy goods without middlemen. This, in turn, began to affect the business of traders involved in re-export in Kyrgyzstan. Against this backdrop, the shift of trade to an online format is also gaining momentum, creating new competition and challenges for bazaar traders.

Challenge of a New Era: Trade Shifting Online

As mentioned above, those working at the bazaar are facing a double blow from geopolitical decisions and digitalization. While geopolitical factors are reducing the flow of buyers from neighboring countries, digitalization — brought by technological progress — is introducing Kyrgyz traders to major global competitors. This is because the most popular online shopping platforms among Kyrgyzstanis are Chinese and Russian marketplaces. For instance, according to data from Appfigures, a platform that analyzes mobile applications, the most downloaded shopping app in Kyrgyzstan is the Chinese marketplace TEMU. Among the top ten most downloaded apps by iOS and Android users, two are Chinese, and two are Russian marketplaces.

In the past, a trader’s competitors were the neighboring containers at the bazaar; now, they are facing global giants. In these conditions, traditional traders must learn to use digital tools and adapt to the new reality to meet modern demands. However, some traders admit they are facing serious difficulties in this area.

Nazgul, who returned to Kyrgyzstan after 15 years as a migrant in Russia, has been operating a small container at Dordoi for a year. She tried to follow modern trends by selling her goods through Instagram, but she says the attempt was unsuccessful because her digital skills were insufficient.

«It seems young women sell through Instagram now. I also opened a page and tried to sell, but since I don’t understand phones very well, it didn’t work out. It seems you need specialized skills to work on social media,» she says.

A second major obstacle for Nazgul is the lack of affordable training. Although she has a desire to master marketplaces, she notes that the cost of courses is very high. 

«I looked into Wildberries (a Russian marketplace — ed.). But those who teach how to work there ask for anywhere from 200,000 soms (≈$2,287) to 1 million (≈$11,435) soms. I understand that no one teaches for free, but this is a very expensive resource for me. Besides, even after studying, there is a risk of not being able to run the business successfully.» 

Currently, Nazgul, whose trade at the bazaar barely covers her rent and daily meals, added that she has started thinking about leaving this field entirely to look for other work.

However, there are also traders who have quickly adapted to the innovations brought by technological development and used them as an opportunity. One of them is Gulera. Her life has been closely connected to the bazaar since childhood. Growing up helping her mother at the market, Gulera moved to Moscow as soon as she turned 18 and began trading independently. For Gulera, who sold Kyrgyz-made clothing at one of Moscow’s major bazaars, the 2020 pandemic was a turning point.

«During the pandemic, the bazaars closed, and customers stopped coming. But even though there was no trade, we still had to pay rent. So, I thought about it, registered on the Wildberries marketplace, and started selling my goods online,» she says.

Soon after, Gulera realized that online trade offers many opportunities. She closed her physical outlet at the bazaar for good and moved entirely to the marketplace. Today, she is a successful digital entrepreneur who tracks trends on the platform and can sell any product based on demand.

Gulera’s experience demonstrates that digitalization is creating not only challenges for traders, but also new opportunities. Nazgul Janybaeva, Chairwoman of the Board of the «Kurak» Women’s Forum, describes the double-sided nature of this transition period — its destabilizing effects on business and, at the same time, the new opportunities it offers:»In the beginning, this was a stress for most women. Previously, a steady customer, a good location, and quality goods were enough. Now, an entrepreneur without Instagram and online payments is falling behind. But at the same time, opportunities have opened up. We see women in rural areas selling across the country without traveling to Bishkek. Online trade has helped some save on rent and manage their time better,» says Janybaeva.

Difficulties in Adapting to the New Reality

Alongside her main business, Gulera has been sharing her experience and training those who want to enter Russian and local marketplaces for several years, including those working in traditional trade and light industry. According to her, women make up 90% of those striving to master digital trade. However, Gulera confirms the concerns of our hero Nazgul, openly stating that not everyone who undergoes training can successfully manage this field. The main reason for this is a lack of, or very poor, digital skills.

«For example, if ten people study in a group, only four of them continue the work. The others struggle because they cannot use a laptop. Working with a laptop is a basic requirement for marketplaces. Also, in online trade, rules and trends change every day. To keep up, one must study constantly. Since training is not free, financial resources are also important,» Gulera says.

In these conditions, the most accessible and easier way for traditional traders to adapt is by using social networks and messengers (WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, etc.). As the World Bank reports, the main channel for e-commerce in the Central Asian region is not specialized platforms, but specifically this type of social and informal e-commerce.

However, the availability of smartphones, which have become a new tool for trade, does not automatically guarantee success. Economist Iskender Sharsheev identifies three main groups of obstacles for traditional traders adapting to the digital era:

«There are three main barriers to traditional traders adapting to digitalization. First, the lack of digital skills: tasks like taking proper photos of goods on a phone, creating a catalog, advertising, and accepting orders can be difficult for many. Second, the financial and organizational side: a phone, internet, packaging, delivery, and handling customer returns are seen as additional costs and burdens. Third, psychological barriers such as the fear of fraud, the lack of confidence like ‘I can’t learn this,’ or being shy about appearing in public through social media also hold them back,» says the expert.

Sharsheev believes that to overcome these obstacles, traders need real help rather than just words. According to him, along with practical training, it is necessary to simplify the operational tasks of online selling.

«For example, if practice-based short-term training is organized to teach specific skills like photographing goods on a phone, writing interesting descriptions, setting prices, and talking to customers, I think the results will be fast. At the same time, the internet issue within the bazaar must be solved, and packaging and delivery services should be simplified. Most importantly — security and trust: by teaching how to avoid scammers and showing examples of successful merchants, adapting to the new conditions will become easier psychologically,» Sharsheev adds.

Nazgul Janybaeva notes that technical training is not enough for adaptation; social recognition also plays a decisive role.

«There are many cases where women working online are perceived as ‘just sitting on the phone.’ It is important to recognize them as real entrepreneurs,» Janybaeva says.In turn, the «Kurak» Women’s Forum has been implementing projects aimed at expanding the opportunities for women traders. For example, as part of special training, more than 300 shuttle trader women working in border areas learned to use the smartphone not just as a communication device, but as a tool for selling.

Special Tax Regime: What Actions is the State Taking?

At the state level, electronic commerce is viewed as a sector that provides an impulse for economic development and causes significant structural changes within it. In 2025, the domestic e-commerce market reached $525 million, growing by 15% compared to the previous year.

To establish a legal foundation in this direction, the Law «On Electronic Commerce» was adopted in 2021. Additionally, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a special program for the support and development of electronic commerce for 2023-2026. The document sets ambitious goals, such as training women and youth in digital entrepreneurship, opening regional incubators, and creating an E-commerce Park.

However, even though the program’s term is nearing its end, the question of how much its results have impacted ordinary traders like Nazgul remains open. As noted by Aibek Kurenkeev, President of the Electronic Commerce Association, the main incentive offered by the state is a special tax regime introduced for e-commerce subjects. According to this regime, entrepreneurs pay a 2% tax on total turnover and are exempted from value-added tax (VAT), sales tax, and profit tax.

Kurenkeev points out that the requirement to switch to 100% non-cash payments to use this special tax regime is difficult for many.

«However, to apply this tax regime, one must switch to 100% non-cash payments. In the reality of Kyrgyzstan, fulfilling this requirement is difficult for most merchants,» Kurenkeev says.

Alongside these domestic issues, the impact of global platforms has now reached the legislative level. On April 21 of this year, the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget approved a draft law ‘On Competition.’ This bill includes measures to adapt anti-monopoly policies to the digital economy.During the discussions, deputies emphasized that legislation must reflect the modern realities of the digital economy. They called for stronger oversight of major trading platforms like Wildberries and TEMU. The representatives stressed that the operations of global marketplaces should not infringe upon the rights of local businesses. They noted that creating a level playing field and fighting unfair competition will be priorities for the new anti-monopoly policy.

Author: Chynargul Zhumabekova

This story was produced with the support of Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)’s Media Fellowship on Digitalisation and Feminist Digital Rights and Justice.