Almaty hosted the BeWoman Asia Forum – the largest women’s leadership platform in Central Asia, El.kz reports.

The event was held with the support of the National Commission on Women and Family-Demographic Policy under the President of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Culture and Information.

The forum brought together over a hundred participants from twenty countries.

Kazakh Minister of Culture and Sport Aida Balayeva emphasized that the portrait of the modern Kazakh woman reflects the work, knowledge, and leadership of millions of women shaping the country’s future.

“We must promote and instill in the younger generation the values of the concepts ‘Law and Order,’ ‘Taza Kazakhstan,’ and ‘Adal Azamat’: inner culture and respect for the law, responsibility and diligence, respect for traditions and nature, as well as unity and tolerance,” the minister said.

According to her, Kazakhstan is ahead of a number of countries in protecting women’s rights, yet issues of gender equality and the development of women’s entrepreneurship remain relevant.

“Today we have progressive laws in the field of family and domestic relations. Harassment has been recognized as a criminal offense, strict liability has been introduced for domestic violence, and bride kidnapping is now equated with serious crimes punishable by up to ten years in prison,” Balayeva stressed.

This year, the central theme of the forum, held under the motto “Transformation. Personality. Family. Society. Future. Leadership. Inspiration. Unity,” focused on digitalization, artificial intelligence, business, and the value of the family institution. The speakers included well-known entrepreneurs, researchers, journalists, and influencers.