NEWS

13 June 2007

WOMEN ARE ACTIVE IN POLITICAL, ECONOMIC LIFE OF KAZAKHSTAN: B. AITIMOVA

A briefing of the International Women’s Forum Role of women in the emerging Central Asia took place at the UN headquarters in New York. Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kazakhstan under the United Nations Organization Byrganym Aitimova made a report regarding the main topic of the meeting there, Kazinform reports.

Ms. Aitimova told the representatives of the diplomatic missions and nongovernmental organizations, UN officials and spouses of the diplomats about historic factors which had an impact on the present status and role of a woman in Central Asia.

Despite the fact that the Central Asian republics are very young, nations residing in the region have centuries-old history and traditions. For instance, formation of the ethnical identity of the Kazakhs was largely affected by the Turkic Kaganate (a huge Turkic state that came into existence in the 6th century AD as a result of the union of diverse nomadic tribes), Great Silk Road, the epoch of Genghis Khan, the Russian Empire and Soviet Union.

Kazakhstan is situated in the heart of Eurasia on the crossroad of three world religions: Islam, Christianity and Buddhism. All these factors determined the country’s future development. Above 130 nationalities and representatives of 45 confessions and denominations live peacefully in Kazakhstan.

Nowadays role of the women in the civil and political life of the country has become more active. Women make up 57% of all the government officials in Kazakhstan. There are 3 female ministers in the republic.

Today we may proudly say that Kazakhstan has achieved the UN Millennium Development Goals in the sphere of education. All the citizens of the country regardless of their sex get free secondary education.

“In spite of obvious success and realization of the measures guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities to both women and men currently we face the serious problems in this sphere: discrimination of the women at the labor market, inequality of incomes, high level of the maternal mortality, fragile reproductive health and women trafficking”, Ms. Aitimova noted.

Kazakhstan is justly proud of its achievements gained for the period of its independence. For the last decade GDP per capita in the country increased four times. Stable economic growth, political system and inter-faith consent encourage the Central Asian republic to set an ambitious goal to join the club of the 50 most competitive countries of the world within next 10 years.

From the very beginning Kazakhstan accorded priority to democratic development. This May we adopted a constitutional reform providing transition from the presidential to the presidential-parliamentary regime in Kazakhstan.

Today Kazakhstan has all the necessary legal and political tools for development of the civil society institutes. Above 1000 nongovernmental organizations combined in the Civil Alliance of Kazakhstan and nine political parties are functioning in the country. 80% of the republican newspapers, magazines, radio stations and TV channels are privately owned.

The Kazakhstani authorities had been demonstrating commitment to the principles and norms of gender equality and assumed legislative and practical measures in this direction during the by-pass period in the history of the country. 300 nongovernmental organizations and social associations are promoting gender equality, solving maternal and domestic problems on the whole in Kazakhstan today.

Our national policy in this very field is based on the following key elements: all-round promotion of women, their involvement into economic life of the country, gain in women’s health and elimination of violence against women.

With adoption of the Gender Equality Strategy for 2006-2016 developed by the public structures in cooperation with nongovernmental and international organizations Kazakhstan has vividly demonstrated its commitment to the principles and provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The strategy contains 45 large-scale measures on political and economic promotion of women, protection of the reproductive health, elimination of violence against women and children and achievement of the gender equality in family relations.

In the Message of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev to the Nation as of February 28, 2007, the Head of the State paid special attention to the improvement of the domestic education and healthcare.

“The Kazakhstani authorities are to continue promotion of gender equality and protection of women’s rights in future”, Ms. Aitimova concluded. A. Altyngazina

Source: KAZINFORM

SUMMER SCHOOL AND CONTEST ON GENDER AWARENESS FOR JOURNALISTS

Agreement on cooperation was signed between the International Training Centre for Journalists and the UNDP's "Development of institutional and legal potential for the expansion of opportunities for women in Uzbekistan" Project.

It is intended to raise gender awareness among the population of Uzbekistan and awareness about the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women through journalists devoting their works to this topic. The aim of the unification of the efforts of the two organizations is also to involve population in the process of discussion of these issues and improve citizens' knowledge of the legislation, policy and Uzbekistan's international obligations in this sphere.

In the framework of the agreement, the parties intend to organise and conduct summer school on "Gender awareness through media" and a contest among journalists for the best material on gender. The International Training Centre for Journalists and the UNDP "Development of institutional and legal potential for the expansion of opportunities for women in Uzbekistan" Project will exchange specialists and experts, provide each other support in preparation and publication of the best works for the purpose of elucidating the provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women and raising gender awareness of the population.

It is envisaged that summer school will take place in the late July 2007, and the contest for the best material in four nominations (television, radio, press, and Internet) will be conducted by the end of the year.

Source: UzReport