Kazakhstan steps it up: Will provide regional leadership to galvanize transformative change

Kazakhstan commits to going beyond ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment at the national level by providing regional leadership to achieve the goals of the Beijing Declaration in the region of Central Asia and beyond. To manage the transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals, it will advocate for carrying forward lessons learned and galvanizing transformative change, especially for the most marginalized and disadvantaged women and girls facing multiple forms of discrimination and abuse. It stands behind this process through support for adequate financing, transparent and open accountability mechanisms, and high-level comparable gender data. The Government will provide USD 56 million for developing programmes for women’s entrepreneurship. Having enacted national legislation and made long-term financial commitments to the Beijing Declaration, it pledges to continue upholding all international instruments—including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women—that have a bearing on women. In a speech prepared in the context of the Global Leaders' Meeting on 27 September 2015, Senator Byrganym Aitimova said: “My country will go beyond ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment at the national level to providing regional leadership.” [Commitment]