NEWS
18 January 2007
KAZAKHSTAN MOVES FORWARD IN PURSUING GENDER POLICY, A. SAMAKOVA
Kazakhstan made a report to the Women’s Ant-Discrimination Committee in the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.
The head of the delegation, chairperson of the National Commission for Family Affairs and Gender Policy under the Kazakhstan President Aitkul Samakova told about the measures taken by the country in this direction and answered the questions of the Committee’s experts and a Kazinform correspondent.
- Ms Samakova, let me congratulate you on successful defense of the second report of Kazakhstan on execution of the Convention on the elimination of all the forms of discrimination against women. Could you tell us about its key theses?
-In the year of 2001 Kazakhstan made its first report. The experts put some questions then related, mostly, to the adoption of the laws on equal rights, equal opportunities, domestic violence, and realization of the gender policy strategy. Since 2001 the country has drastically changed thanks to the significant economic success. The experts, who paid visits to Kazakhstan, confirmed the living standards have improved as well.
Monthly average salary makes to date USD 310, 2.2 times more comparing to 2001. Unemployment rates dropped to 7.5%. As it is widely known even the developed states have higher rates. Annual social spending increased by 3.5 times hitting thus KZT 600 bln in 2006, that makes 37% of all the budget expenses. This year these expenditures will grow by 18% more.
One of the brightest democratic reforms of the country is a Decree of the President of Kazakhstan on gender equality in Kazakhstan for 2006-2016 and action plan for its development.
The law on equal rights and opportunities is being considered at the present time in the Parliament of Kazakhstan, the law on domestic violence is in the plan of the law project work of the Government of Kazakhstan. I think it will be adopted by the year-end.
It means the recommendations given in 2001 have been fulfilled by Kazakhstan by 100%. The tasks set in the sphere of healthcare, education, labor relations are being dynamically solved. We have made real steps in pursuing gender policy. Certainly the experts agree we should do even more for Kazakhstan is a young state.
To date there are 3 women ministers in the Government of Kazakhstan, or 20%. It is a great achievement among the CIS member states. 9% of the deputies of the Parliament of Kazakhstan are women, 17% of women take seats in the maslikhats. To my thinking it is still insufficient.
- Since 1999 you have been dealing with family and women problems. All the ministries and department of Kazakhstan are involved in some way in the settlement of these issues. Are there any problems?
- At present the notion “gender policy” is widely spread and everyone understands that this problem is serious and it should be solved. All the ministries and departments appoint responsible persons to address the said issues. We quite often invite them to debate and resolve jointly the urgent issues. They make reports how their departments deal with these problems.
- Are there any international organizations rendering assistance?
- We have tuned up good relations with international organizations such as UNIFEM, UNICEF, and OSCE. The latter renders technical assistance in the form of consultations, experts, the rest of them lends financial backing for the realization of projects.
The UN does much work to keep women and men equal in decision-making processes. Now three out of five deputy secretaries of the new secretary general of the United Nations Organizations are women. This points to the fact that the tasks the UN faces are being fulfilled.
A. Altyngazina
Source: KAZINFORM
