OSCE/ODIHR promotes increased women’s political participation in Kazakhstan

Enhancing the role of women within political parties in Kazakhstan was the theme of a roundtable meeting held in Astana by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Centre in Astana and UN Women on 22 November 2012.

The discussion brought together representatives of political parties, the election administration, civil society and international organizations to discuss and share good practices for political parties to promote women as decision makers, campaign managers, advocates for gender equality and candidates for elected office in Kazakhstan.

“Political parties play a key role in increasing the impact of women’s participation in political life, both as candidates and voters,” said Jeannette Kloetzer, Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

During the roundtable, ODIHR presented its baseline study Gender Equality in Elected Office: A Six-Step Action Plan, which highlights different strategies for enhancing women’s political participation, including legislative measures, capacity-building activities and internal initiatives by political parties. 

“The leadership can enhance gender equality within political parties by critically assessing the rules for promoting members to decision-making positions, candidate selection and party resource allocation, to ensure they provide an equal playing field for both women and men,” said Diana Digol, ODIHR Project Officer.

The discussion is to be followed by a two-and-a-half day training seminar for 35 women politicians from various regions of Kazakhstan. The seminar is designed to enhance the skills of women politicians in advancing their political careers.