Contesting labour violations in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields

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McGuire, Darren and Piacentini, Laura and Sambajee, Pratima (2025) Contesting labour violations in Uzbekistan’s cotton fields. Work, Employment and Society. ISSN 0950-0170 (In Press)

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Abstract

This article shares a co-written, work and life biography of a prominent female international human rights defender, working to strengthen civil society in Uzbekistan. We centre the article on the experience of Zulfiya Umidova, who was falsely imprisoned and remains a person of interest to the authorities. Drawing on participant reflexivity interviews, a workshop and public lecture, we contribute to the literature on coercive labour and actor agency in supply chains and GVCs, at a time of authoritarian crackdowns on activists across Uzbek society, and, in a context where labour rights monitors continue to face major threats and risks. The central contribution of this OtFL article is showcasing work and its tensions, rooted in the Global East.

ORCID iDs

McGuire, Darren ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5489-3495, Piacentini, Laura ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3817-6012 and Sambajee, Pratima ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8867-877X;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)