Warsaw Conference: Kazakhstan presents results of reforms to advance gender equality

Women account for 56% of Kazakhstan’s civil service workforce and hold over half of all judicial positions. A legal expert specialising in gender policy and human rights Aigerim Kussaiynkyzy presented the key outcomes of reforms aimed at promoting equal opportunities and protecting women’s rights during a session of the OSCE Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw.

According to Kussaiynkyzy, Kazakhstan regards gender equality as an integral component of human rights protection and a cornerstone of the country’s sustainable development. The country has established a robust legal and regulatory framework, with its institutional policy priorities set out in the Concept of Family and Gender Policy until 2030.

Kazakhstan is a party to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Since 2009, the country has also had legislative guarantees in place to ensure equal rights and opportunities.

Kazakhstan’s progress is reflected in international assessments. In the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2024 report, Kazakhstan scored 75.6 out of 100 for the legal frameworks governing women’s economic opportunities. In addition, the OECD Development Centre classifies the country among those with low levels of discrimination.

The expert provided a detailed overview of women’s representation in public and political life. Legislation establishes a 30% quota for women, young people and persons with disabilities on party electoral lists. Following the most recent elections, women accounted for nearly 34% of the members of the Kurultai, Kazakhstan’s national legislature.

To strengthen women’s leadership and management capacity, Kazakhstan is implementing large-scale educational initiatives. In particular, the Tomiris project has provided specialised training to more than 1,600 women leaders, while a joint initiative with UN Women has reached approximately 600 participants.

During her presentation, Kussaiynkyzy also outlined the measures taken by the state to protect the rights of women and children.

As part of the reforms, battery and the intentional infliction of minor bodily harm have been criminalised, while criminal liability has also been introduced for stalking and coercion into marriage. The previous complaint-based approach has been replaced by a system that enables the relevant authorities to identify and respond to offences proactively, allowing them to intervene promptly without requiring an initial complaint from the victim. The possibility of reconciliation between the parties in the relevant cases has also been eliminated.

The information presented at the international conference demonstrates Kazakhstan’s ongoing efforts to develop equality institutions, strengthen legal protection and expand women’s participation in public life.