First, the Russian service sector has been growing, which generates demand for a "female" workforce (UNIFEM, 2009; Laruelle, 2007). In addition, citizens of Kyrgyzstan used to enjoy a facilitated naturalization procedure in the Russian Federation; moreover, they are now exempted from the necessity of obtaining a work permit or patent due to their country's membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, which thus makes them more attractive to an employer. Second, perceptions about female mobility are different in Kyrgyzstan than they are in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.