OSCE Almaty Centre promotes equal opportunities for women in Kazakhstani politics
(OSCE)Schoolchildren in the village of Sarzhal, in Kazakhstan. Picture taken in 2004. (OSCE) Photo details
ALMATY, 21 December 2004 - With support from the OSCE Centre, women's NGOs of Kazakhstan are developing a strategy for working towards equal opportunities for women and men in politics.
A roundtable discussion that was held yesterday, organised by the OSCE Centre in Almaty and the National Commission on Family and Women Affairs under the President of Kazakhstan, focused on identifying existing barriers, which hinder women's full and active participation in the country's political life.
Discussions at the event were based on a review prepared by a group of national experts as well as on a report by Edeltraud Gatterer, a gender expert who participated in the Parliamentary Election Observation Mission of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to Kazakhstan earlier this year.
"Equal rights and opportunities are key principles of democracy," said the Head of the OSCE Centre, Ambassador Ivar Vikki, in his opening speech.
"Genuine equal rights for men and women are vital for building a fair and democratic society founded on the rule of law".
Roundtable participants included government officials, NGOs and other actors with an interest in the wider political involvement of women. Experts from Austria, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation also took part in the discussion.
A roundtable discussion that was held yesterday, organised by the OSCE Centre in Almaty and the National Commission on Family and Women Affairs under the President of Kazakhstan, focused on identifying existing barriers, which hinder women's full and active participation in the country's political life.
Discussions at the event were based on a review prepared by a group of national experts as well as on a report by Edeltraud Gatterer, a gender expert who participated in the Parliamentary Election Observation Mission of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to Kazakhstan earlier this year.
"Equal rights and opportunities are key principles of democracy," said the Head of the OSCE Centre, Ambassador Ivar Vikki, in his opening speech.
"Genuine equal rights for men and women are vital for building a fair and democratic society founded on the rule of law".
Roundtable participants included government officials, NGOs and other actors with an interest in the wider political involvement of women. Experts from Austria, Kyrgyzstan and the Russian Federation also took part in the discussion.