Foreword and acknowledgements

Over the past decade, Kazakhstan has made important progress in promoting women’s empowerment in public life. Some important achievements include a Law on Equal Rights and Opportunities and the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence in 2009 as well as a National Gender Equality Strategy (2006-16). There have also been important advances in women’s participation in public life in Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, women remain underrepresented in key decision-making posts. Currently, the share of women in parliament is 27.1% in the House of Representatives and 6.38% in the Senate. To close the remaining gaps, the country has developed a new Family and Gender Equality Policy, which seeks to achieve, by 2030, equality of rights, benefits, responsibilities, and opportunities for men and women in all areas of social life, and the eliminate all forms of gender discrimination. This presents an unprecedented opportunity to develop a whole of government approach to achieving gender equality in practice.