Speech of the Secretary of State of the Republic of Kazakhstan Gulshara Abdykalikova, World Assembly for Women

Your Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As you know, this year is the 20^th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. These documents became a significant milestone in developing gender mainstreaming in modern society. The goals UN member countries identified in 1995 are still being implemented. Based on the implementation review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action we can set new priorities for further development.

For the last years Kazakhstan made significant progress in addressing gender issues.

First of all, we established necessary legislative basis which ensures gender equality.

Comprehensive Strategy for Gender Equality was approved by the Decree of the President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Two gender oriented laws “On State Guarantees of Equal Rights and Equal Opportunities for Men and Women” and “On Prevention of Domestic Violence” were approved.

Secondly, we formed institutional framework. National Commission for Women, Family and Demographic Policy under the President of Kazakhstan provides efficient interaction between the state and public institutions.

Thirdly, a network of specialized nongovernmental organizations is being developed dynamically. Today about 300 NGOs actively engaged in protecting women’s rights and interests.

Today Kazakhstan has a National Network of Schools for Women's leadership, Clubs of Women in Policy, Resource Centers for protection of women’s and children’s interests in all regions.

Let me emphasize on the political will of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. He underlines a special mission of women in the development of the society. In the Strategy “Kazakhstan – 2050” President Nazarbayev calls “to actively involve women in the state and public governance... to create favorable conditions for opening and doing business by women”.

With the strong support of the government today women of Kazakhstan became a driving force of the economy.

In 2014 Kazakhstan took 25^th place in Global Competitiveness Index in “Working women, the Proportion in Relation to Men” indicator, and 43^rd place in the Global Ranking of Gender Equality of the World Economic Forum, and entered the group of countries with high evaluation of women's opportunities in economic, political and other spheres.

Kazakhstan actively promotes gender issues in its foreign policy. The issues of promoting gender balance and women's participation in governance were included into the agenda of Kazakhstan's Chairmanship in the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2010 and Organization of Islamic Cooperation in 2011. The Post of the Special Representative on Gender Issues was established during Kazakhstan's Chairmanship in the OSCE.

Starting 2012 the issues of enhancement of women’s economic potential have been discussed at the multiple venues of the Astana Economic Forum which annually is being held in the capital of Kazakhstan.

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 823