Political life of post-soviet Kazakhstan undergoes a complex process of
transformation and modernization. At soviet system quota conditions per elected
posts of different levels was Government guaranteed in minimum 30 % of
representation (the so-called
“critical mass”) to women, national minorities and other socially vulnerable
categories of populace. The forming of political elite was made on the basis of
thorough selection, taking into consideration sex, age, education, nationality,
occupation, etc. The conditions of the state paternalism in the former Soviet
Union established the factor of dependence and “getting accustomed ”
of women to “special” position and that became the major reason of
political experience absence, leaders skills and habits, possibility to conduct
political election campaigns. Though
men were also recruited by party bodies, the lack of women was obvious. That is,
the political process of elections in Soviet State wasn’t democratic even
de-jure.
When Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, the state was formed its
own legislature system and election system as well. Quotas, guaranteeing to
women political representation in power structures were eliminated. As a result
during 1991 elections to the supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK)
women got only 26 out of 360 seats (7,2 %).
The sharp decrease of women quantity at all levels of governing
structures despite the presence majority of women among specialists of secondary
level lessen their role on
democratization process in the society and conducting reforms in Kazakhstan. And
though during the years of soviet power women occupied minor positions after
coup d’ etat of the Soviet Union (the USSR) they were pushed out of governing
organs even from such traditional for women sphere as social.
Low women’s representativity at the level of decision adoption led to
political marginization of women’s problems. The typical manifestation of
women’s discrimination in poverty, women’s health became worth and
demographic crisis started. The growth of violence to women was obvious and one
may see social tension in the society. There is direct dependence between policy
of state towards women and the degree of social stability and that means the
national security of the country. That’s why working out of mechanisms which
support political and social-economic stability of the state is fundamental
scientific task of theoretical and applied science in RK.
During last years, especially after the Republic of Kazakhstan joining
the United Nations Organization and participation of the Republic at the IV
World Conference on women’s position (Beijing, 1995) based on the theme of
increasing the women’s level of participation in the public life, politicians
invented a new notion- “gender”. Under the international organizations
pressing special state structures were created to advance women. Women’s
movement started to develop intensively. However in reality the state powers
simply tried “to build – in” women’s problems into already worked out
plans, programs and long-termed strategies. As a rule, to women all existing
social problems in the society are referred: women’s problems, disabled
people, old generation and kids. The discrimination existence that is the
absence of real equality in society is not fully understood because it isn’t
taken into account. It’s considered that the settling of all economic problems
will settle all other problems.
The United Nations Organization connects these problems with violating
human beings’ rights sticking to a major principle: without full participation
and allotment of women with power potential the stable decisions in society
which is threatened with social and economic difficulties cannot be found. The
establishing of legal society in Kazakhstan supposes practical realization of
its basic principle - equality of all citizens in front of the law in all
spheres of the society. In connection with this the problem or women’s rights
violation must become an object of wide public and political elite attention in
the country.
If the problem connected with human beings’ rights in the society will
be risen then the point of view of women’s destination will be changed as well
as her role in the society, her status which while traditional attitude is
connected only with one function- “maternity for producing further
generations”.
Consequently, the women’s right problem is the problem of creating
absolutely new political culture. Thus with women’s appearance in power the
process of stable consolidating democratic base will be performed.
The scientific study of gender problems reflects the processes of
women’s international movement process and is contained in a number of
feminist and gender conceptions the appearance of which is connected with such
factors as: activization
of liberal philosophical tradition (D. Lokk, J.J. Russo, D.S. Mill), in the
frames of which such theories of mankind
equality were developed: strong influence of utopian socialism (Sh. Furier, A. Sen-Simon, R. Ouen) where the
notion of “feminism” was established.
Up to the middle of the XX century appeared a number of theories
which emphasize the feminism essence:
(Zila Eisenstein, Valery Bryson, Chris Weedon, Christine Delphy, Ethel
Cline,
Kate Millett , Joan Scott, Betty Friedan, bell hooks, etc.) /1/.
On post-soviet space the most significant researchers were made in the
field of political gender investigations in the frames of Russia School (N.
Ajgikina, Andreenkova, E. Belova, O. Voronina, E. Zdravomyslova, T.A.Rubuntseva,
N.Shvedova, T.Klimenkova, E.Kochkina, O. Lipovckaya, G. Sillaste, G. Shevchuk,
A.Temkina, S.Ushakin, Z.Hotkine, etc.) /2/, and also with Belorussian (E.
Gapova, I. Chikalova, G. Shaton) /3/ and Ukrainian (L. Zherbkina, S.
Kupriyashkina) /4/
schools.
The problem of gender equality being the subject of intensive foreign
investigations is not worked out in domestic politology.
The most prominent investigations in the sphere of politics are
connected with investigations made by G.Altynbekova, L.Ahmetova, B.Becturganova,
M.Mekebaeyeva, A. Mukhtarova, S. Konovalov /5/. The basic researches made by R.
Jalimbetova and N.Shedenova are dedicated to social-economic position of women
/6/. N.Nurtazina conducted an investigation in the sphere of women’s
inequality historic roots in traditional Kazakh society /7/. G.Zakumbaeva
published first in the history of sovereign Kazakhstan book of domestic authors
on gender investigations /8/. G.Tlenchiyeva published a number of papers on
women’s rights and development of non-governmental organizations where
specific attitude is accepted of legislative aspects of women’s equality /9/.
N.Ussacheva wrote a monograph in the field of cultural sources of suppressed
women in different countries of different epoch /10/. A.Abikenova, G.Zakayeva,
Z.Sarsenbaeva, M.Seyitova, G.Solovijeva, S.Shakirova despite scientific works on
the theme of gender unequality worked out and published textbooks of gender
theory and also curriculums for students of higher Institutions /11/.
But institutionalization of gender research at Kazakhstan is still in
embryo condition. At the present moment only two such types of institutions are
known - Institute of Social and gender research at Kazakh State women’s
pedagogical Institute and non-governmental organization “Almaty Centre
of gender research”.
The
aim of
the research lies in complex problem research of women’s participation problem in
forming and expansion of democratic Institute in Kazakhstsn. The democratization
of public life demands introduction of new attitudes worked by world community,
gender modernization of power in particular, gender – sensitive policy
in all spheres of society activity and vital activity if society and state and
also in wide propaganda of such policy advantages.
Main
tasks
appearing from the research aim:
-
to analize and generalize overseas and domestic experience in the sphere
of gender equality political conception;
-
to investigate the peculiarities of women’s electoral behavior
undemocratic and post totalitarian political regimes;
-
to define connections between democratization of society and
representation of women in power bodies;
-
to find out major stages of Kazakhstani women’s movement establishing;
-
to find out the reason for
low level women’s political activity and existing barriers on the way of women
into politics and possibilities of their
overcoming;
-
to work out mechanisms of establishing paritet democracy in Kazakhstan
aiming at inserting women into
politics as at the state level as at the level of public opinion.
The
subject of
my investigation is gender factor at political Kazakhstani sphere.
-
The
object of my
investigation are the democratic institutes in RK;
-
The
scientific novelty
of my work:
-
that is the first domestic complex
research of gender factor in representative power structures of PK. Based on
this we look upon the reasons of low women’s political representation and
mechanisms of its growth at multileveled cross–section where the upper level
is represented by the state activity in the sphere of gender politics and lower
– by activity of society itself in the sphere of overcoming gender
stereotypes, being dependent is also in this
row.
In connection with this the scientific novelty of my investigation is
the following:
-
from the position of modern feminist tendencies-political ideology of
women’s liberation movement – the genesis of political gender equality
conception is analyzed;
-
found out the results of scientific researches in the sphere of woman’s
electorate behavior in democratic and post-totalitarian regimes;
-
defined the factors of women’s political representations in modern
society;
-
supposed author’s periodization of the women’s movement establishing
in Kazakhstan;
-
found out the reasons of low women’s participation in the politics on
the basis of general gender analysis of political representation and specific
features of women’s electorate in Kazakhstan;
-
worked out legislative, institutional, organization and conceptual
recommendations for establishing the gender equality in Kazakhstan.
Methodological and theoretical basis of my investigation comprises the
socio-political theories, feminist conceptions and also results of overseas and
domestic gender research.
During my research work we apply such methods as sociological
(focus-interview, expert and mass questionnaires, content-analysis)
institutional analysis, historic, logical, comparative. In my research we apply
the methodics of qualitative analysis of the presented in Kazakhstani society
barriers in women’s political career based on the results of interview
conducted by the author with woman-deputies of Maslihat and the Republic of
Kazakhstan Parliament. Also it was conducted with candidates into deputies
participated in the election of 1999.
In my research we use gender attitude to the analyzing of public –
political Kazakhstani development.
The
sources of information.
Large quantity of sources and literature used for writing the paper judging by
its character, are original. They are grouped in the following way:
-
conceptual and norm legislative the Republic of Kasakhstan Documents;
-
the Republic of Kazakhstan statistic agency literature;
-
data of focus - interview conducted with separate women – deputies in
Parliament and Maslihats in the Republic of
Kazakhstan;
-
the materials of sociological investigation of political and social –
economic women’s situation conducted by Sociologist association and
politologists of Almaty City, women’s association of intellectual labor
Central Asia agency of political research, Institute of Kazakhstani development;
-
papers of interstate organizations;
-
scientific monograph literature of researchers from Kazakhstan, Russia,
Ukraine, Belorussia, the USA, Great Britain, Norvegia and Sweden;
Periodical
papers, information and articles from Internet.
From the point of view of the selected work and tasks
or research the priorities are among the presence of different sources –
official documents of state power and scientific publication prepared by
non-governmental structures. Their complex study allows conducting the whole
comparative research.
Special
places are occupied by the data collected by the author of research work as a result of focus-interview with
Parliament deputies and Republic of Kazakhstan
Maslihats because they allow to study the problem more profoundly.
Among the
diversity of sources
it is necessary to emphasise the
results of great number national
researches in the USA – the only country having conducted questionnaires
on the results of elections
during 80 years, having analysed
and generalised the behaviour of
different populace groups at elections, women’s electorate
in their number.
Practical appliance is determined by the possibility to use general
statements and research results of investigation in conducting the further study
or gender problems, determining the mechanisms and directions of forming sound
state policy in gender relations.
Major conclusions and statements of the research may be used in working
out legislative gender equality base in the Republic of Kazakhstan, special
training courses on politology and sociology, gender studies and also in
practice of women’s political activity.