Meeting of the SPECA Working Group

The Annual Event involves countries such as Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, as well as internationa.organizations: ESCAP, UNECE, UN Women, etc.

Shakharbanu Zhakupova, representing Kazakhstan, spoke about the measures taken in the country to ensure gender equality and noted the basic principles of gender policy established by the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 

According to her, Kazakhstan was one of the first among the countries of the Post-Soviet Space to adopt a number of important documents that formed a platform for the development of gender equality:

Kazakhstan has made significant progress in shaping the institutional framework for gender equality. 

In addition, the ratio of women's salaries relative to men's increased from 66% in 2009 to 68% in 2019.

There are positive results in the participation of women in the social and political life of Kazakhstan. The percentage of women in the public service is 55.7 %. At the end of 2019, the share of women in Parliament was 27.4 %, i.e. an increase of 2.6 times compared to 2006. The share of women in local executive bodies - 22.2 %.

It should be noted that the participation of women in research and development is quite high, which is 52%. 

According to WEF estimates, the level of gender gaps in education and health care in Kazakhstan is minimal.

The number of women entrepreneurs is growing from year to year. Today, the share of women among individual entrepreneurs is 52.2 %. According to data as of January 1, 2020, women entrepreneurs provide 1,066.8 thousand jobs or 31.4% of all jobs in the SME sector of Kazakhstan.

In general, Kazakhstan's labor market is characterized by high female employment and low unemployment. If the unemployment rate for women in 2009 was 7.5%, then in 2019 it was 5.3%. Women make up 48.3 % of the total employed population.

The Government of Kazakhstan continues to take measures to increase women's participation in the economy by creating equal access to the labor market, educational, medical, financial and other resources. 

As part of the Business Roadmap, 16,301 projects of private entrepreneurs were subsidized, of which 32.1% were projects of women's businesses. This Program provides state grants for the implementation of new business ideas in priority sectors of the economy. Existing entrepreneurs, Kazakhstanis wishing to start their own business, including women, persons with disabilities and people over 50, can participate in competitions for grants.

In addition, a number of support measures are provided for by the State Program for the Development of Productive Employment and Mass Entrepreneurship "Enbek" for 2017-2021. Since 2017, 13,217 micro-loans have been issued to women entrepreneurs in rural localities and small towns, which is 31.3% of the total number of loans issued. 

Also in Kazakhstan, a large financial and non-financial state support is provided through the Damu Fund. 

As of the first half of 2020, the Damu Fund financed 58.2% of women - individual entrepreneurs. The average loan amount was KZT 9.32 million, and 931 new jobs were created.

In addition, the Fund supports women entrepreneurs with disabilities under the Damu - Komek Program. 

In order to develop women's entrepreneurship, we can note the work of international institutions, such as the UN structures, the Asian Development Bank (hereinafter - ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (hereinafter – EBRD), which implement loan financing programs. For example, the EBRD runs the Women in Business program to lend to small and medium-sized enterprises headed by women.

Thus, state support measures serve as a mechanism for improving the qualification level of women entrepreneurs and their involvement in programs for financial and non-financial support of small and medium-sized businesses.

It should be noted that during the meeting the chairperson of the SPECA Working Group on Gender and SDGs was elected: Sadagat Gahramanova, Deputy Chairperson of the State Committee on Family, Women and Children Issues of Azerbaijan.

Following the meeting, participants shared information on progress made and challenges encountered in implementing SDG 5 on gender equality and discussed further strategies to address key emerging challenges to promote gender equality, including the full economic and political empowerment of women in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the 13th session of the SPECA Governing Council, held on September 21, 2018 in Almaty (Kazakhstan), the UN Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) countries  reaffirmed their commitment to the Program as a platform for developing sub-regional cooperation in the SPECA region and achieving the SDGs. 

The main objective of the meeting of the SPECA Working Group on Gender and the SDGs is to provide a platform for policy dialogue, capacity building and networking among government stakeholders from relevant key ministries and agencies of SPECA countries to discuss gender-responsive strategies that are critical to achieving gender equality, SDG 5 and related SDGs on poverty reduction and economic growth, to support the implementation of the Agenda for Sustainable Development for the period until 2030.