Asel Shayakhmet
Senior Correspondent of the Information and Law Departmen
Senior Correspondent of the Information and Law Departmen
As part of a series of lectures and seminars for representatives of the republican publications "Kazakhstanskaya Pravda" and "Egemen Qazaqstan", a meeting of creative teams with the Deputy Chairperson of the National Commission for Women's Affairs and Family and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Elena Tarasenko was held. The National Commission was founded in 1998, when Kazakhstan ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It was from that moment that our country approved gender policy as an important part of the state program.
According to Elena Tarasenko, one of the most important steps in the development of gender policy in Kazakhstan was the IV World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995. It served as a starting point for the creation of the Council for Women's Affairs under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and its subsequent transformation into the National Commission. Today it is headed by the Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva.
– One of the first regulatory and legal acts aimed at developing gender policy in Kazakhstan was the Gender Equality Strategy for 2006–2016. It was an effective and breakthrough project in the post-Soviet space. As part of the implementation of the strategy, indicators for achieving gender equality were identified for the first time, and a position was set on achieving at least 30 percent representation of women at the decision-making level, – said Elena Tarasenko.
Based on the strategy, in the period from 2006 to 2009, members of Parliament initiated and began work on a bill on state guarantees of equal rights and opportunities for men and women, which was adopted in December 2009. At the same time, a law on the prevention of domestic violence was signed, which was improved last year: changes were made to it aimed at criminalizing a number of norms on combating domestic violence, supporting women and protecting children.
Elena Tarasenko said that regional structures, including regional, city and district commissions, have been actively developing in recent years. In 2024, the institute of public advisers to regional akims on gender policy was introduced. This indicates the growing importance of gender policy at all levels of governance.
– The continuation of the Gender Equality Strategy was the adoption of the Concept of Family and Gender Policy in Kazakhstan until 2030. In 2022, the concept was updated, and currently large-scale work has been launched to implement it. It is carried out by the National Commission for Women and Family and Demographic Policy. The Ministry of Culture and Information has been designated as the responsible body for gender policy issues within the framework of cooperation with the OECD, – the speaker added.
In the international ranking on the Gender Equality Index in 2024, Kazakhstan took 76th place among 146 countries. Our republic has demonstrated progress in reducing the gender gap in health care and in expanding women's economic rights and opportunities. In 2021, the list of prohibited professions for women was canceled.
But the positions have declined in the "Political empowerment" indicator. Elena Tarasenko cited statistics on women's representation in politics and government bodies over the past two decades. For example, if in 2006 there were only 10% women in Parliament, then in the period from 2007 to 2012 - 24-28%, and then until 2022 this figure remained at 28%. However, today women's representation in Parliament is only 18.9%, in maslikhats - 21%.
It should be noted that an important step in the implementation of gender policy was the adoption in 2024 of the Action Plan of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to ensure the promotion of equal rights and equal opportunities for men and women.
– One of the first regulatory and legal acts aimed at developing gender policy in Kazakhstan was the Gender Equality Strategy for 2006–2016. It was an effective and breakthrough project in the post-Soviet space. As part of the implementation of the strategy, indicators for achieving gender equality were identified for the first time, and a position was set on achieving at least 30 percent representation of women at the decision-making level, – said Elena Tarasenko.
Based on the strategy, in the period from 2006 to 2009, members of Parliament initiated and began work on a bill on state guarantees of equal rights and opportunities for men and women, which was adopted in December 2009. At the same time, a law on the prevention of domestic violence was signed, which was improved last year: changes were made to it aimed at criminalizing a number of norms on combating domestic violence, supporting women and protecting children.
Elena Tarasenko said that regional structures, including regional, city and district commissions, have been actively developing in recent years. In 2024, the institute of public advisers to regional akims on gender policy was introduced. This indicates the growing importance of gender policy at all levels of governance.
– The continuation of the Gender Equality Strategy was the adoption of the Concept of Family and Gender Policy in Kazakhstan until 2030. In 2022, the concept was updated, and currently large-scale work has been launched to implement it. It is carried out by the National Commission for Women and Family and Demographic Policy. The Ministry of Culture and Information has been designated as the responsible body for gender policy issues within the framework of cooperation with the OECD, – the speaker added.
In the international ranking on the Gender Equality Index in 2024, Kazakhstan took 76th place among 146 countries. Our republic has demonstrated progress in reducing the gender gap in health care and in expanding women's economic rights and opportunities. In 2021, the list of prohibited professions for women was canceled.
But the positions have declined in the "Political empowerment" indicator. Elena Tarasenko cited statistics on women's representation in politics and government bodies over the past two decades. For example, if in 2006 there were only 10% women in Parliament, then in the period from 2007 to 2012 - 24-28%, and then until 2022 this figure remained at 28%. However, today women's representation in Parliament is only 18.9%, in maslikhats - 21%.
It should be noted that an important step in the implementation of gender policy was the adoption in 2024 of the Action Plan of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan to ensure the promotion of equal rights and equal opportunities for men and women.