Women’s empowerment issue: a new platform for the EU-Kazakhstan cooperation

Abstract

Women’s empowerment and gender equality feature prominently in the new European Union Strategy for Central Asia. They are referred to as cross-cutting issues, included in a wide range of areas such as human rights, private sector development, education, and job creation or preventing violent extremism. The EU positions itself as a reliable partner in designing and implementing adjustment policies in the region, having a strong interest in seeing Central Asia as a stable, rules-based and connected area. The objective of EU is to assist states to build its resilience through knowledge-sharing (training, monitoring, mentoring and advising) and financial aid. The EU acts as a facilitator, a mentor and a partner to enhance collaboration and partnerships to build resilient and responsive state. The strategy does link resilience to democracy. The EU continues to rhetorically support the discourse of “universal” liberal values such as a “rights-based” approach, good governance, democratization, modernization, accountability, free markets, etc. In order to enhance democracy, supporting women's empowerment is a critically important. The EU had developed a broad range of practices in gender equality and we believe that the adequate application the European model of gender equality could contribute to the implementation of an effective policy in this sphere in Kazakhstan and will expand EU-Kazakhstan mutual understanding and cooperation.