However, checkpoints manned by interior ministry troops and other armed units have extorted money from drivers and passengers, limiting their freedom of movement. Nearly all of the estimated 600,000-700,000 refugees who fled the country during the civil war have subsequently returned to Tajikistan. Corruption is reportedly pervasive throughout the government, civil service, and business sectors. Barriers to private enterprise, including limited access to commercial real estate and the widespread practice of bribe payments, continue to restrict equality of opportunity. Although women are employed throughout the government, academia, and the business world, they continue to face traditional societal discrimination.
Domestic violence is reportedly common, and there are credible reports of trafficking of women.