With men abroad working, a land of women is uncovered in RTD’s Tajikistan documentaries

Tajikistan is one of the poorest former Soviet republics, with many of the men having moved to Russia to find work to support their families. The country is left with thousands of single-parent families, where the women have to do everything in looking after their children. In some cases, mothers have to leave to find work in Russia too, leaving their kids with foster mothers. The tragedy of these family breakups due to circumstances is investigated in two films, Stepmothers, and On Women’s Shoulders.