From June 19 to 21, 2024, the UNDP Gender Equality Seal Global Manager visited Astana, Kazakhstan, to discuss the implementation of the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions in the country. and to participate in the international conference: Exchange of Experiences in the Development of Modern Human Resources, organized by Kazakhstan Civil Service Academy and the Astana Civil Service Hub. This multilateral platform is inspired by the Agency of Civil Service Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and is jointly supported by UNDP in Kazakhstan. The mission was part of ongoing efforts to advance gender equality within Kazakhstan’s public administration.
During the mission, UNDP representatives met with several high level public officials to discuss the importance of integrating a gender equality perspective in public administration in Kazakhstan, to ensure a modern and proactive public service ready to accelerate public administration reforms towards sustainable development, and therefore towards gender equality. In this sense, the UNDP team meet with Almas Kurmanov, CEO of Republican Research Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Ministry of labor and Social Protection to discuss how to integrate women’s needs in occupational safety in public administration, with particular focus on preventing and addressing sexual harassment at the work place. This is of particular relevance as the country is currently discussing the approval of a national law in this sense.
The mission also served to strengthen the engagement with the Ministry of Information and Culture, and its Gender Equality Committee, being the first public institution in the country engaged in the implementation of the Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions. As the Ministry has just finalized its self-assessment on the Gender Equality Seal Standard, the mission was an opportunity to provide the Gender Equality Committee of the Ministry with relevant feedback to move on with the development of the Seal action plan for improvement.
Other relevant meetings included Mr. Abil Yerlan Kuanyshuly, Rector of Academy for Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan. Mr. Abil expressed the interest of the Academy itself to engage in the Seal process, as a guiding example for other public institutions in the country.
The mission offered relevant public spaces to discuss the importance of advancing gender equality and addressing gender equality to build an effective and responsive public administration sector. During her participation in the open discussion: «Key challenges in HR» that took place at Maqsut Narikbayev University, Ana Landa, Global Manager of the Gender Equality Seal, highlighted the importance of addressing structural gender inequality barriers that prevent women’s equal and full participation and leadership in the public sector, particularly in terms of access to education and training, unequal distribution of unpaid care at homes and sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace.
A final highlight of the mission was UNDP-s participation in the international forum Exchange of Experiences in the Development of Modern Human Resources, which took place in the Civil Service Academy premises in Astana on the 21st of June, organized by Kazakhstan Civil Service Academy and the Astana Civil Service Hub. This forum provided a platform for raising awareness about the structural barriers that women face in progressing and accessing leadership positions within the public sector. Emphasis was put on the persistence of conscious and unconscious gender biases that directly influence recruitment, selection and professional development in organizations, also in the public sector. These biases strongly prevent meritocracy efforts and hinder women’s full participation and leadership in the public sector.
The UNDP’s mission to Astana in June 2024 exemplifies a collaborative effort towards achieving gender equality in Kazakhstan’s public administration. By fostering partnerships, raising awareness, and advocating for inclusive practices, the initiative not only addresses current challenges but also sets a precedent for sustainable progress.
