THE ROLE OF WOMEN OF CENTRAL ASIA IN POLITICAL SCIENCE: THE CASE OF KAZAKHSTAN

Zhanat Zakiyeva

2026

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DOI 10.37602/ijrehc.2026.7307
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

This project presents a study of “female presence” in academic circles, particularly, in political science, at research centers or ‘think tanks’ of five Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in the last decade of the Soviet period (1980-1992), and in the period of independence. It investigates the origins and consequences of the third wave of feminization in Soviet science in the late 20th, as well as issues of gender asymmetry in the political science research institutes. Women are still underrepresented in a number of political science research spheres, particularly in senior positions. The project analyze problems and prospects for the advancement of women researches, and expansion of their women participation in the ‘think tanks’, research institutes/centers, policy groups, and panels of experts. The project is directed to help address this issue, understand what obstacles remain and how they can be overcome. The project aims to share knowledge and tools about how to create better access to and accelerate women’s representation in the national and international scientific organisations. It also examines how to more effectively integrate a gender-lens into government action and policy-making. The paper examines the historical background, social and professional environment, institutional barriers facing women researches, as well as current trends in women's participation in shaping the science of the region's states. The project is based on a comparative analysis of the legal framework, national and international statistics, including UN reports, academic research, interviews, and public speeches. There is also an overview of women's representation in the research centers and political activity based on the Women in science indicators, which reflects the proportion of women researches, senior executive officers. Particular attention is paid to the practical aspects of women's participation in researches: career mobility, representation at the international and regional levels, as well as state policies to advance women in science. The study identifies both positive trends in gender empowering and persistent challenges related to cultural stereotypes, limited institutional support, and social barriers. The study offers recommendations for strengthening women's role in science through legislative reform, training, and strengthening regional and international cooperation.