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International

Tajik Men Leave Families Behind to Migrate for Work

Every year, 1 million Tajiks are living outside of the country, mostly working as laborers in Russia. Their wages make up a significant chunk of this impoverished country's gross national product. But the absence of one-seventh of the country's population has dramatically altered Tajikistan's demographics, leaving entire communities empty of adult men.

Women are now the de facto heads of households. And with fewer men available, experts say the practice of polygamy is growing.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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