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The Republic of Kazakstan (until December 1991, the Kazakh SSR) is the second largest of the former Soviet Republics in Central Asia. The total area is 2.717.300 sq-km (1.049.155 sq-miles), over four-fifths the size of India (but with only 2% of the population). The first occurence of the name "Kazak" is registered in a Turkish-Arabic dictionary of 1245 which was probably compiled in Egypt of the period when it was reigned by the Mamelukes (guardsmen) who came from the steppes of Kazakstan and the region north of the Black Sea, were called "Kypchak Turks" in Muslim sources, "Polovets in ancient Russian annals and "Komans" in European and Byzantine chronicles and were ancestors of the Kazaks and other Turkish-speaking peoples. The word "kazak" means "independent", "free", "wanderer", "exile". The country possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals.

It also is a large agricultural - livestock and grain - producer. Kazakstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these natural resources and also on a growing machine-building sector specializing in construction equipment, tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The breakup of the USSR in December 1991 and the collapse of demand for Kazakstan's traditional heavy industry products resulted in a short-term contraction of the economy, with the steepest annual decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-97, the pace of the government program of economic reform and privatization quickened, resulting in a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. The Caspian Pipeline Consortium agreement to build a new pipeline from western Kazakstan's Tengiz oil field to the Black Sea increases prospects for substantially larger oil exports in several years. Kazakhstan's economy again turned downward in 1998 with a 2% decline in GDP due to slumping oil prices and the August financial crisis in Russia. The recovery of international oil prices in 1999, combined with well-timed tenge devaluation and a bumper grain harvest, pulled the economy out of recession in 2000. Astana has embarked upon an industrial policy designed to diversify the economy away from over dependence on the oil sector by developing light industry.


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Women in politics, governance and decision-making

Women in Kazakstan are well educated, with 13 per cent of them having higher education, in comparison with 12 per cent of men. Nevertheless, women's participation in political decision-making is limited.

Although there are no legal restrictions on the participation of women and minorities in politics, the persistence of traditional attitudes results to few women holding high office or playing active parts in political life. For instance, despite government's repeated calls for the representation of women at all levels of decision-making both the government itself and the President have expressed their opposition to introducing a quota system, as demanded largely by women's NGOs, and committees and commissions. NGOs based their argument on the fact that, despite formal equal access to public service and electoral rights, there remains only one women minister among 14 ministers and few women MPs in Kazakhstan. Of 39 Senate members, 5 are women; of 77 Majilis members, 8 are women. Out of 80 deputy heads of regional administrations, only five are women. There were no female provincial governors (akims).

The electoral system contains no incentives for political parties to involve women in politics or assign them to public positions. During the 1999 elections, several parties fielded men-only candidates lists. Out of 11 registered parties, only one party (Vozrojdenie or "Revival") is headed by a woman and nominated equal numbers of male and female candidates. Its party membership is 60% female.

An analysis by the Feminist League of certain legal texts, including the Constitution and electoral laws, revealed a high incidence of linguistic sexism. Specifically, the grammar forms used in some documents of electoral constituencies referred only to men.

In autumn 1998, the Coalition "Women's electoral initiatives" was established and includes the 20 most well known women's organisations. In August 1999, the Coalition sent a memorandum to all registered parties calling for them to include at least 5% of women candidates in their party lists for the parliamentary elections. In June 1999, a public foundation "Women's Electoral Block" was set up to support women candidates. In the course of this active involvement of women in the 1999 electoral politics, the first women party we re born - the Political Alliance of Women's Organizations.

In the bureaucracy, four women head governmental committees and agencies; ten women are Vice-Ministers, or deputy heads of committees and agencies, five women are deputy akims of regions. The President of the Academy of Sciences of Kazakhstan is a woman.

On an international level, three women Ambassadors represent Kazakhstan. With the exception of the UN, Kazakh women are not represented in any international organisations.

According to 1997 figures, only seven out of 90 directors and their deputies in central governmental bodies were women. Women are represented in local government, although in general they do not make up more than 30% of local deputies. The mean percentage of women working as local government officials in Kazakhstan is 57%, with the lowest number (35%) in southern Kazakhstan, and the highest (67%) in northern Akmola, Karaganda, and Pavlodar regions.

Women work in the mass media and although a large number of journalists (50%) are women, few hold important positions. The President of the largest Kazakhstan television and radio company "Khabar" is a woman and according to the Ministry of Information and Public Accord, women make up 18% of the management in state and independent Kazakh mass media.

Most decision-making positions in NGOs are held by women and the number of women in managerial positions of NGOs increased from 47.8% in 1995 to 51.4% in 1997. However, it must be noted that many NGOs created since the 1990's have ceased functioning for various reasons.

Out of 48 Supreme Court judges, 16 are women, and women represent 25% of chairs of collegiate chambers of the Supreme Court. However, among the rest of the judiciary, women occupy over 50% of posts. Although 76% of the higher education staff are women, only two out of 51 such institutions have women rectors.

In general, the representation of women in public life has gradually declined, mainly due to the general economic problems, the dependence of the economy upon raw industries, which employ mainly men, increased poverty and the increased Islamic influence in the southern rayons.

Kazakstan committed fully to the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women, and has actively promoted equality between men and women since. In 1998, President Nursultan Nazarbaev established the National Commission on Family and Women's Affairs. Soon after, the government adopted a comprehensive National Action Plan for the Improvement of the Status of Women.

Download these documents to know more on women's rights in Kazakstan:
 


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Important political facts

Political system/government type: republic

Head of state: The President who is directly elected by universal adult suffrage. The incumbent is Nursultan Nazarbaev, who is elecyed in December 1991. In a nationwide referendum held 30 April 1995 his term was extended up to 2000. He expanded his presidential powers by decree: only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities. The Parliament on June 27, 2000, granted President Nazarbayev special powers for life to address the Parliament and the nation, and advise future presidents.

Legislature: Bicameral. The lower chamber, the Majlis, has 77 members, 67 of them directly elected on a single constituency basis, and 10 seats allocated proportionately, for five-year terms. The upper chamber, the Senate, has 39 members, 32 indirectly elected and seven appointed, for six-year terms, with half elected every three years.

Executive: The head of government is the Prime Minister, who is appointed by the President. The Deputy Prime Ministers and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Finance and Internal Affairs are also appointed by the President. The remaining ministers are nominated by the Prime Minister

Most recent elections:
Presidential: Jan. 10, 1999
Legislative: Oct. 10 and 24, 1999 (Majlis); Sept. 17, 1999 (16 Senate seats indirectly elected)

Next elections:
Presidential: 2006
Legislative: 2004

Major parties:

Republican Party of the Country (OTAN)
Number of seats in the Assembly (Lower chamber): 23
Chairperson: Sergei Tereshenko
Tel (3272) 62-24-83, 62-39-91
Web: http://www.otan.nursat.kz


Civil Party of Kazakstan (CPK)
Number of seats in the Assembly: 13
Chairperson: Azat Peruashev
Tel (3272) 62-19-16

Communist Party of Kazakhstan
Number of seats in the National Assembly: 3
Chairperson: Serikbolsyn Abdilidin
Tel (3272) 65-13-09

Agrarian Party (AP)
Number of seats in the National Assembly: 3
Chairperson: Romin Madinov


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Women in politics, governance, leadership and decision-making
Important political facts