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Gender Equality Conference Held in Albania

On September 24, 2024, a Kazakhstani delegation participated in an international conference on gender equality, marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The event took place in the capital of Albania, Tirana, and brought together representatives from 20 countries across Europe and Central Asia. The Kazakhstani delegation included Zhuldyzay Iskakova, Deputy Chairperson of the National Commission on Women and Family-Demographic Policy under the President of Kazakhstan; Akmaral Bozshayeva, Head of the Gender Policy Coordination Department at the Committee on Youth and Family Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan; and Dina Amrisheva, Head ofOffice a.i., UN Women Kazakhstan.

The conference was organized by the UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, with support from the Government of Albania. The discussions focused on strengthening institutional mechanisms for advancing gender equality, building partnerships, and sharing effective strategies.

Zhuldyzay Iskakova delivered a report on Kazakhstan’s initiatives to empower women, detailing the activities of the National Commission, collaboration with international institutions, and the monitoring of progress in gender equality. She emphasized the importance of gender statistics in evaluating these processes.

In her speech, Iskakova highlighted that the President of Kazakhstan has set ambitious goals to double the country’s GDP by 2029. In this context, she underscored that the active involvement of women in the economy and the increase of their political participation are crucial for achieving these objectives. According to Iskakova, Kazakhstan has already established the necessary legislative and institutional frameworks to support women’s engagement, with opportunities for further improvement.

She also called on countries in the region to enhance cooperation in sharing experiences on data collection and analysis to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implement the principles of the Beijing Declaration. In her view, joint efforts will lead to significant progress in this area.

Dina Amrisheva moderated a session titled “Building and Ensuring the Resilience of Multilateral and Cross-Sectoral Partnerships,” which explored mechanisms to strengthen collaboration across various sectors in advancing gender equality.

Following the results of the conference, the Kazakhstani delegation was awarded a Token of Appreciation for fulfilling commitments under the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, remain pivotal international documents on women's rights, outlining key areas for addressing gender issues and advancing gender equality globally.