Aida Balayeva: Kazakh women are real driving force of the economy

The minister noted that the portrait of a Kazakh woman in 2025 is more than just dry figures, but it is a history of the country written by the labor, knowledge, and leadership of millions of women. Each figure represents a contribution to the economy, culture, science, and future of Kazakhstan.

"Women in our country today, without any exaggeration, are the true driving force of the economy. Women lead 48.2% of all small and medium-sized businesses in Kazakhstan. Women now account for 53.4% of individual entrepreneurs," Aida Balayeva said during the opening of the BeWoman International Forum in Almaty.

According to the minister, Kazakh women are confidently moving into future-oriented industries: over 30% of female students are choosing STEM fields, and 31%* of women are already working in IT and the digital economy. At Astana Hub, the country's largest technology park, one in seven startups was founded by a woman.

"Women play an equally significant role in Kazakhstan's public administration system. Women make up 55.8% of all civil servants in the country. More than 53% of the judiciary are women. Around 20% of members of Parliament are women. In diplomacy and the military, there are still few women: only 4% of ambassadors, 16% of police officers, and 4.4% of women in command positions in the Army. However, it is here that we see potential for future growth and new horizons for leadership. More and more women are pursuing these complex, traditionally 'male-dominated' professions, and more and more graduates are achieving impressive success," said Balayeva.

The Minister emphasized that the "female factor" largely determines the world's attitude toward our country, which has long since moved beyond the status of a "developing" one. Presently, the average life expectancy of a Kazakh woman is 75-80 years. This is an indicator not only of personal health and vitality, but also of the quality of Kazakhstan's entire healthcare system.

The literacy rate among Kazakh women is 99.9%. One in five women in Kazakhstan has a higher education. At Kazakhstan's universities, every second student is a woman. 55.7 percent of female researchers are successfully establishing themselves in academia.

"All these facts paint a complete picture: a Kazakh woman is modern, educated, economically active, and socially responsible. She is skilled in building businesses, teaching, managing government projects, working in laboratories, agriculture, business, and civil service. In addition to all this, our women are caring daughters and wives, tender mothers, raising new generations of worthy, successful people and true patriots. All of this has become possible thanks to the systematic support of the Head of State," said Aida Balayeva.

The Minister noted that Kazakhstan is a democratic state that provides women with significant opportunities. To implement this area of state policy, the National Commission on Women's Affairs, Family, and Demographic Policy under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan has been established at the institutional level in our country.

"As can be seen, Kazakhstan's indicators are generally better than the global average, but this is no reason to rest on our laurels, and gender equality issues remain relevant for our country. That's why we continue our efforts to that end. Especially as advancing gender equality is the fifth goal of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," added Aida Balayeva.

Earlier, Kazinform reported that Anel Sytdykova, a native of the West Kazakhstan region, became the first Kazakh woman to swim across the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland.