Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- With the growth of technological progress, new devices and household appliances are emerging that improve our life, making it more comfortable and convenient. Today it is difficult to imagine most of the work at home without household appliances. One of the most important inventions of the 20th century is the washing machine. This device not only simplified and accelerated the process of washing things, but also had a great impact on the lives and work of women. 

Washing machines have not only reduced the time and effort required for laundry, but also freed up more time for other activities. According to studies, between 1900 and 1980, the use of washing machines in the United States increased the economic activity of women by 10% (Jeremy Greenwood, Anant Seshadri and Mehmet Yoruglu, 2005) .

According to a Nielsen study, 67% of people worldwide do their laundry at least twice a week, and 31% every day. While there are similarities in how often people around the world do their laundry, there are differences in how they do it. Nearly half (45%) of Asia-Pacific residents wash clothes every day, of which 27% do it by hand. In Europe, Africa and the Middle East, 11% people wash their clothes by hand , in Latin America - 15%, in North America - 4% of the population. Among the countries of the world, the highest level of use of washing machines is noted in Europe (87%), North America (82%) and Latin America (74%) . It should be noted that the economic activity of women in these countries is much higher than in others.

According to the study, women spend an average of 17 minutes washing clothes in the washing machine (including sorting the laundry in the machine and hanging to dry), and the average time for washing clothes by hand ranges from 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes. Since washing clothes by hand is very laborious than using a washing machine. At the same time, factors such as the type and size of clothes, the amount of laundry and washing methods affect the time it takes to hand wash.

According to the Agency of Statistics, out of 100 households in Uzbekistan, 95 have washing machines. The lowest indicator of provision with washing machines was noted in Syrdarya region - 83, and the highest in Tashkent city - 128. However, the household survey does not ask about the type of washing machine (automatic, semi-automatic) or for what purpose it is used (in villages it can also used to separate milk from cream). In addition, information on the provision of the population with washing machines in the context of the city - village is not provided, which creates certain difficulties for the analysis and formation of specific proposals. In this regard, it can be assumed that 95 out of 100 households do not have an automatic washing machine and may not use it for the washing process.

In 2021, the level of provision with washing machines in European countries was: Italy - 97%, Austria - 94%, Germany - 93%, Great Britain - 92%, France - 90%, Norway - 88%, Sweden - 72%.

The level of economic activity of women in Uzbekistan is significantly lower compared to other countries (43%), therefore, in our opinion, the main reason for this is spending a lot of time on household chores. Research results show that Uzbek women, when employed in the economy, spend an average of 4 hours a day on household chores. This is evidenced by the fact that many women do not devote enough time to their children. For example, only 36.8% of female respondents noted that they read different books to their children, 37.4% - spend time and play with children.

As you know, the use of washing machines saves a fair amount of time for women compared to washing by hand. The duration of the washing cycle in the washing machine is on average 30-60 minutes, depending on the selected modes and the amount of laundry. Thus, the woman does not need to take part in every step of the washing process.

IMRI experts assessed how the use of washing machines affects the economic activity of women in Uzbekistan.

Economic effect: as a result of the study, it was revealed that an increase in the level of provision of households with washing machines by 1% will increase the number of economically active women by 1.9% or 122 thousand people. (Table 1). Also, the presence of personal computers by households has a positive effect on the economic activity of women.

Social impact: the use of automatic washing machines in the daily life of women, especially those living in rural areas, contributes to an increase in the amount of free time. According to the calculations, the use of automatic washing machines saves an average of 4 hours of time per week. Women can devote this time to their children. The results of the study prove that the more time mothers spend with their children, the better their performance in subjects such as mathematics and mother tongue. In addition, the use of automatic washing machines reduces water and energy consumption.

Thus, according to the results of the study, it was revealed that the use of automatic washing machines has a positive effect on the economy and social life of the country’s population. Based on this, it is proposed to develop measures to provide rural women with automatic washing machines. One of the main mechanisms for this is the introduction of soft loans for women who wish to purchase washing machines.

To date, the annual interest rate on a loan for the purchase of a washing machine (consumer loan) in Uzbekistan is at least 25%. At the same time, when buying in installments, the overpayment reaches 40% of the cost of the goods, due to the fact that the percentage is included in the cost of the goods. In view of the foregoing, it is proposed to introduce a special loan for women to purchase a washing machine with an annual refinancing interest rate set by the Central Bank.